She Doesn't Fall
by writingwithheart
Summary: Wouldn't it be wonderful? To have a happily ever after? Well, no. Life is about talking risks and having adventures. So, let's start from there. Ally Dawson has never and will never like America's heartthrob, Austin Moon. She just doesn't understand why he is so special. But, when they meet... well, let's just say things go crazy. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

Full summary**\- She Doesn't Fall**

Ally Dawson is a typical eighteen years old that _had_ a drama free life. She has friends, is quite smart and finds comfort in music. She is just trying to get through her last year of high school. This simple plan is only proven difficult because of _him, _Austin Moon, Miami's talented heartthrob. Every girl adores him- from his looks to his voice. So, you must imagine that when she says that she has no liking to him whereas every other girl is crazy obsessed, it causes a distraction.

Austin Moon, a famous pop star from Starr Records and a teen idol. He has everything. The charm, the brains, and the talent. He just doesn't have the personality. Always taking things too far with his words and actions. He thinks that there's nothing wrong with having a huge ego. So, when his parents catch him throwing an out of hand party, they come up with the worst punishment: high school.

Cheetah Beat, the most exclusive magazine company in the United States. The reporters and paparazzi spend every minute tracking down famous stars… to find out their secrets and tear them down for everyone to see. And they have their next big sensation: Austin Moon. And even better, he's going to _public_ school.

Now, when Austin arrives at school, he immediately becomes the only person in the spotlight and he loves it. He just doesn't understand why a certain girl seems to want nothing to do with him. Like, he's _Austin Moon_!

So, through school, a series of adventures and the paparazzi, does Ally finally realize that the pop star is not so bad or is she the only one that doesn't fall?

**My new story! Please give it a chance and spare some seconds to review, follow and favourite!**

**Also, my first Austin and Ally fanfic called ****Love Will Remember****. I hope you'll check it out.**

**Now, onto the next chapter to start the story…**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1-** She Doesn't Fall**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin &amp; Ally or anything else you might recognize.**

**Enjoy and tell me what you think!**

Ally's POV

The sun shines through my window and burns my eyelids so I am forced to wake up. I would like to say that I get up gracefully, ready to take on the first day of senior year but being the unique person I am, I roll off and land hard on the ground, spending minutes trying to then untangle myself from my blanket wrapped securely around me. Finally on my feet, I go to brush my teeth. After, I take a shower, shivering when the hot water hits my back.

When I'm done, I step out of my bathroom and walk to my closet in my room. Suddenly, I jump in surprise when my alarm goes off, playing a song from my -oh so favourite artist.

"And that's Austin Moon with his top song on the charts, Better Together. More Austin Moon coming up after-." I slam my hand on my device, turning it off. I let out a small laugh, thinking about the song and wondering who he wrote it about. _Probably didn't even write it_ I think to myself. There was no way Austin Moon would've written any of his songs because they had too much feeling. No one really saw it but me. Austin was just so… fake. Sure, I could admit that maybe he was a little bit attractive and his voice did sound nice, but on the inside, he was a troublemaker and immature. He always took everything for granted and was so self centered that I was surprised that his stages were only that big.

I shake my head, wanting to clear the thought of him. You might ask why I am acting like this. Reason is that I go to Marino High and it seems like I am the only girl there who doesn't have an obsession with him. It's insane. Everywhere I go, posters are lining the walls and his songs are blaring out of everyone's phones. I mean, his songs aren't bad but just the fact that he seems to have everyone down on their knees and wrapped around his fingers, makes me roll my eyes. I can barely even walk to my next class without being bombarded by fan girls either. Not in a good way though. Not even close. They chase me to continually ask why I am the only girl in school who doesn't like Austin. Trust me when I say it gets completely overwhelming over three years.

Finally, when my dad shouts at me to get down stairs, then do I snap out of my thoughts. I hurriedly get dressed and go down stairs, ready for my last year of high school and dreading another Austin filled day.

Austin's POV

I groan and drop my last box onto the hard floor, hearing a satisfying crack from inside. I look around the house as if finally seeing it for the first time and hated to admit but, it was pretty awesome. There were numerous full length windows that let lots of the Miami sunshine in. The whole floor was covered in gleaming white tiles and the décor made it feel very welcoming. _Maybe this won't be so bad_ I think to myself. Then, my parents come in and ruin the scene.

"So, what do you think, son? Pretty cool right. There's also an indoor pool, screening room and- Austin, you better be listening." My dad looks at me with a frown and glare at him.

"I don't care okay? If you guys haven't noticed, I didn't even want to move here! How do you possible think that a year in high school will make me 'change my attitude?' I turn my cold look to my mother and she sighs.

"Austin, I don't understand what's so wrong about this. I mean, you used to live here before the record deal and you used to love it. And, on the school subject, your father and I know that you are intelligent but we are sending you back for a different reason. To make some friends. You're seventeen without a single friend. No hang outs or anything."

"Uh, if you don't recall, I did throw that killer party last month…" I trail off with the look my mom was giving me.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me. That is also why you are here: punishment for that party. It got so out of hand. You should've known better. Maybe at school you will learn to follow the rules and be more respectful." I silently laugh at my mom's ridiculous words. I wasn't disrespectful. I just liked to take everything to its limits.

My mom then explained some house rules which I didn't listen to- except for the part where I would be living alone for the next year. I pumped my fist in my mind and waited for her to finish. After, the three of us helped me unpack and explore the house. It looked even cooler the more I wandered around. I was obviously not going to tell my parents that, but I silently thanked them for their fashion sense. When we were done, the sky was dark and the stars were glittering in the sky.

I hugged my parents, knowing I would be without parental supervision for the next twelve months. My stomach churned slightly and I knew it was going to get a little lonely without them. _I'm eighteen. Gotta live a little_. This thought made me feel better but didn't stop my mouth from forming into a frown, and after some more farewells that was too quick for my liking, my parents had left me.

I force a smile and start to think positively about my situation. I would chill at the beach, go surfing and try to work on my song writing skills. Yes, the famous Austin Moon can't write his own songs. Get over it!

I walk up to my huge bedroom and collapse onto the comfy bed, feeling my body relax into the warm sheets. As I am about to drift unconscious, one thought weaves its way to my mind: _I'm starting school._

Ally's POV

I have to clench my jaw and stare daggers at the whiteboard to resist the urge to cover my ears and bolt out of the room. I mean, it's only the first period of the first day of school and the only thing I can hear is talk about Austin Moon and see his smiling face on his posters following me down the halls. I thought I would've been used to this much chattering and gossiping by now but it seemed like there was some major news that had leaked out and everything was chaotic. Even the math teacher seemed to be engaged in a topic with a group of girls instead of teaching.

Suddenly, a recognizable figure burst through the door, holding a colourful magazine with a familiar face on it. She was beaming with excitement and shouted, "Austin… school… here!" With only the first word said, most of the students and the teacher had already closed whatever homework they were barely working on and surrounded the girl. After a couple of moments, the group erupted in shrill screams that echoed around the room and I finally lifted my hands to cover my ears.

I sighed in defeat when the action couldn't block the sound and I dropped my hands to my sides before standing up and weaving my way through the crowd to my friend in the middle.

Trish De La Rosa. My best friend since forever. She was the only Austin obsessed girl who I tolerated. Reason is because I knew her long before Austin became popular and stole every girl's hearts. She was really the only one who accepted the fact that I didn't care about him, even if she did. I also had another friend named Dez and he was great. I met him during freshman year and we ending up becoming friends because he understood me because, well, he wasn't a fan girl.

I stopped in front of Trish to see her squealing with some other girls, her face bright with happiness. Knowing that I shouldn't interrupt her, I just grabbed the magazine she was clutching and brought it up to my face.

I gasped, and brought the cover closer; blinking to make sure I was reading it right. This was impossible. Austin Moon is a famous pop star. He can't act like a normal teenager because he would be treated differently and because of the paparazzi. And yet…

**Austin Moon, teen celebrity, attending Marino High School in Miami for his senior year.**

I dropped the magazine onto the nearest table and walked into the hall to catch my breath. I scanned the walls and the dozens of Austin posters greeted me back. I shuddered. I could barely handle the talk of the oh- so- perfect Austin Moon now. I imagined whaat it would be like with the actual person in the middle of it. I guess I would just have to find more comfort in Dez and the guys of the school.

Agreeing with that plan, I took a deep breath and walked back into the class- prepared to learn nothing related to Math and instead listen about the heartthrob.

**So... first chapter: done! I hope you guys will enjoy this story and also, go check out ****Love Will Remember****. **

***** I have absolutely NOTHING against Austin Moon or Ross Lynch. The hate Ally has against him is just for the story*****

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**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

I push open the front doors, hoping that since today was the second day of school, everything has settled down.

When I walk into the school, the sound surprises me first before the sight. Ear splitting screams and crying are heard from all directions and Austin's new album is playing on a continuous loop. Then, my eyes settle on the scene before me. The first thing that catches my eye is the huge 'Welcome Austin!' banner hanging on the wall. Then, the millions of balloons and streamers wrapped and hung on anything and everything. Also, I had not failed to notice that probably every student was gathered in the spacious hall, along with a group of paparazzi. My eyes widened as I realized that I never bothered to ask _when_ Austin was coming. Immediately seeing a tall redhead with his friends gathered on the opposite side of the hall, I head in their direction and then stop beside Dez.

"Hey, Dez," I say with a smile to his friends. Then, without waiting for a greeting back, I ask, "when is Austin coming?" Dez stared at me like I was crazy.

"Well, the decorations are set up and I don't think they randomly drag every student to the main hall if nothing important was happening," a guy named Elliot said. I nodded at his answer, aware of my stupidity and then turn back to Dez.

"Can you believe Austin is coming? This is going to be such a _great_ year." I say, with sarcasm dripping from my voice. I wait for Dez and his friends to agree but they just laugh nervously.

"Um, about that..." Dez starts and looks at me apologetically. "This _is_ going to be a great year because Austin seems built and we are going to ask him to join the football team." My jaw drops and my plans to find peace with Dez's group disappears. I can't believe that Austin has now even gotten Dez to realize his 'greatness.' I force a smile, not wanting to blame him for this idea or ruin my mood any more so I walk away from them and the rest of the crowd, heading to the only place at school that I can really be free.

Austin's POV

I take a deep breath at the sight of Marino High. I was actually a little nervous considering I had never stepped foot into a high school before. I still had enough common sense though to take the side door instead of the front, knowing exactly what I would find there. Yes, I was mad at my parents for doing this to me. They should've known that this was going to get overwhelming but, I was going with it anyway. What my parents said was true. I needed to socialize and make some friends and also, it wouldn't hurt to be the center of everyone's attention. I smiled at that idea and walked through the door.

As soon as I step in, screams ring down the hall and dozens of people with camera's run towards me from the other end. My eyes widen and I panic, not expecting this. You see, my parents had told me that it wasn't good to be caught by paparazzi or draw so much attention to myself because anything can easily be blown out of proportion and turned bad. That's why I try to stay out of the camera's way and why my parents were angry when I threw that big party that attracted _many_ unwanted people.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts with the first flash and I quickly turn around and run down the hall. I make it to the end and turn right, thankful that it was completely deserted. I slow my pace a little and go to every classroom door, sighing in frustration when they are all locked. Suddenly, a soft sound of piano fills the hall and I find myself slowly walking to the last room with curiosity. I peek inside and see a girl sitting at a beautiful piano, playing the keys with her eyes closed. I smile slightly and then hear footsteps coming down the other hall. I look around rapidly and then, seeing no other place to go, I run into the room and duck behind some chairs, hoping that the paparazzi and the girl won't see me.

It seems like forever that I wait with the tension building inside of me. Then, the footsteps are clear and loud as they enter the room and the music stops.

"Excuse me Miss, have you seen Austin Moon?" a recognizably masculine voice asks.

"No, I'm sorry," she says and I take in a breath at the sound of her voice. It was vibrant and sweet. Extremely mesmerizing. I wanted to peek up from my hiding spot and look at the girl more clearly but her next words startle me.

"But, I promise you guys will be the first people I tell if I do see him." My eyes widen. Why would she do that? Aren't fans supposed to protect their idol? I still couldn't help but feel calm as I listened to the sound of her voice though. Finally, the footsteps grow quiet until they fade completely and I get ready to leave the room unnoticed as soon as the girl focuses back on her music.

"So, do you need some help to the office or do you want to continue hiding _very _poorly behind those chairs?" The girl asks this and I know it is directed to me. I slowly stand up and face the girl, feeling my cheeks heat up. Then, they become even more heated as my eyes land on her. She seems flawless, from her curled hair, shining brown eyes and perfect curves. She then crosses her arms and taps her foot and I realize that I am staring.

I clear my throat and say, "Hey. Would you care to tell me your name?" I also add my irresistible smile and look her in the eyes. She suddenly surprises me by rolling her eyes and laughing. I blink in shock. Who has ever turned down my signature smile? She jumps off the stage and walks towards me. I hold my breath when she is a couple feet away. She really was pretty and I felt myself blushing again. What was going on with me? I'm not the one who's supposed to be blushing.

"I will not but since you look like a lost puppy, I will show you to the office." She says this then walks out of the room, not looking back to see if I was following. And I wasn't. I was standing there with an astonished look on my face, thinking, _what the hell just happened?_

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

After a couple steps outside of the music room, I look behind my shoulder and am not that surprised to see that Austin was not behind me. I figured he was still trying to process what had happened. And what happened was that I blew him off and the look on his face made my day. It was quite horrible though, to see that he expects everyone to fall over his smile, and since I was probably the first person to not, it left him shocked speechless.

I shook my head, knowing that I was only one of the few people who knew that Austin had this egotistical side. Everyone else calls it charm or uniqueness when it's anything but.

I swivel around on my heel and head back to the class to see why he still hasn't caught up yet. When I walk through the doors, I burst into a fit of giggles and roll my eyes at the sight in front of me. The famous Austin Moon is standing frozen with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. It was actually a little bit- _very_ little bit- cute but anyone else would've though he was paralyzed in fear or something. I shake my head and walk up to him, standing a few feet away. I then do what everyone in the movies do. I move my head side to side to see if his eyes follow. Then, I snap my fingers in his face. When he still doesn't move, I draw my eyebrows together. _I can't believe that just because I rejected him, he goes into shock mode._ I sigh and rub my hands together, not believing what I was about to do. I mean, Ally Dawson does not do this but, the fact that he is so not used to people rejecting him makes me a little frustrated. Who does that? It's like he's never heard of someone not liking him. So, with this thought in mind, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. Lightly, I think.

The blond immediately jerks back in surprise more than pain and he takes in the scene. Then, it seems like he remembers what happens when his eyes land on me and he playfully touches his cheek. "Hey, that really hurt. I think now you owe me your name as an apology." I fight the urge to scoff and I somewhat wished that I hadn't snapped him out of his shock. But, the sooner he drops the subject, the sooner I can bring him to the office and get away from him.

"I'm Ally Dawson," I say hesitantly. He smiles at this and then says, "I'm Austin Moon. If you wanted to know." I raise an eyebrow and say, "uh… I already do know." We stay a while in silence, not exactly uncomfortable but, I wanted to break it anyway.

"So, if you're ready, I'll take you to the office so you can get your information." I start to walk out but, I look back to see Austin following this time.

Austin's POV

Ally Dawson. That name fits perfectly with her. I sneak a glance out of the corner of my eye and want to frown when I see that she's not staring at me. _Why is she not trying to flirt with me? _I think this as she leads me to the office and the more I think about it, the more confused I get. No one has ever passed up the opportunity to get me to like them but Ally…

_ She's probably in shock right now_ I think. She'll get over it and be all over me. I smile and agree with myself.

Suddenly, a couple of flashes blind me and I inwardly groan when I see the group of paparazzi running towards us. I quickly grab Ally's arm and shiver in surprise when I feel unfamiliar tingles race up my own arm. I shake the feeling away before I can think much about it, and pull Ally beside me as we run down a different hall and are greeted with several doors. Ally then wiggles out of my grip and points towards a door at the end of the hall to the left. I cock my head slightly; confused as to why she would be helping me since she said she would give me to the paparazzi. Then I realize that she must've been lying. _Protecting me. I knew she was just in shock. _

Ally, slaps me lightly in the arm, encouraging me to move and I follow her to the room. She throws the door open and I see that the room was actually a janitor's closet. It was tight spaced and filled with many different cleaning supplies. Suddenly, the footsteps belonging to the pursuers gets louder and I know that they are not that far behind. I panic and shove Ally into to room with me rushing in behind her. She trips from my push and knocks into the small light hanging from the ceiling. We both hold our breaths and watch as the light flickers, then goes out, surrounding us in darkness.

Ally's POV

I blink to let my eyes adjust but it was still too dark to see anything. _Stupid Austin. I shouldn't have helped him._ We both stand silently and wait for the paparazzi to come. After what seemed like an agonizingly long wait- when it was actually a couple seconds- with the boy, I finally hear approaching footsteps and murmurs from the other side of the door. It seemed like it got even quieter as we listen to them talk.

"Where'd they go?" "I could've sworn I saw them come here." Then, after some more discussing, the noise retreated and I sighed with relief, thankful that I wouldn't be trapped in here with Austin.

"Thanks Ally," I hear a voice softly say and feel breathing on my neck. My eyes widen and I jump high into the air, later very fortunate that it was too dark to see. At last, when I slow my heartbeat, I turn to where I think Austin was and said, "okay, let's just go." I don't wait for a reply and instead feel for the doorknob before finding it and escaping out of the room and farther away from the boy messing with my emotions.

Austin's POV

I followed beside Ally even more confused than before. _So, she helps me and then runs away from me._ The thought made no sense. Like seriously, who- I mean _who_ passes up Austin Moon? It's actually not even a question. _No one_ passes me up.

Suddenly, I am pulled out of my little argument and back to reality when screams are heard down the hall. I look up to see a whole crowd of girls running towards me with posters in their hands and pens, ready to write their numbers. _Finally, something normal._ A smile breaks its way onto my face and even though I see that no one in that group is even close to how beautiful Ally is, my 'boy instincts' take over.

"This is so sweet," I say to myself, unaware that Ally is still beside me. I hear scoff and I turn to see her roll her eyes.

"Ya, just play with all of them until you no longer find them _sweet_. Oh, and one of them can take you to the office. They'd enjoy that way more than me." My jaw drops and Ally strides away.

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and fav! **

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4**\- She Doesn't Fall**

**Hi guys! So, the last chapter was of the second day of school in September and I have decided to skip the normal school stuff and move onto Winter Break so…**

**Without further ado, to the chapter!**

Ally's POV

"Class! Please focus on the- class!" My legs bounced up and down in annoyance and I watched as our English teacher, Mr. Conley (**from Backups &amp; Breakups**) , put down his textbook and strided over to a big group of students in the corner of the room. I also turned my head to look at the group and -of course- it looks just the same as on the second day of school. This meaning that smack dab in the middle was Austin Moon.

I huff and focus on my pencil, rolling it around on my desk. I couldn't believe that it was already December and it had been already four months but still, everything was the same. This meaning that the posters have only multiplied and the music has only gotten louder. I didn't understand how I was _still_ the only girl not completely wasting my time with the spoiled star. Like I said before, it had been four months and Austin was still an egotistical player. He walked down the halls like he owned them, his smile plastering his face when girls surround him and even worse, he accepted Dez's offer and made it onto the football team. Now, he was the schools most popular boy- more so than before. And, how do I know this you might be wondering? Well, ever since that little outburst I gave him a couple months back, it seemed to have really impacted him. I don't care that I hurt his feelings though. It was completely rude, hearing him say that he was basically going to play with all those _sweets_. Anyway, afterwards, Austin seemed to have made it a point to always trail behind me and talk- no flirt- with me whenever he had a chance. Of course, I ignored him but that only made him more persistent.

I snap out of my thoughts and glance at the clock on the wall. I sighed when I saw there were only a couple minutes until the bell. I wish I could stay in English forever. Reason is because Mr. Conley was the only teacher that didn't care that he was "_the _Austin Moon. Teen god," as everyone decided was the perfect label. He was the only teacher I have meet who wasn't swayed by Austin's charms to get anything done his way either. It was peaceful, to finally have a class where the teacher was not okay with playing music in his class.

"Would be even better if the singer wasn't here," I whisper under my breath. But, apparently, I have horrible whispering skills because the boy himself comes to stand in front of me with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, looks like someone has me on their mind," he says while stepping to the very front of my desk. I stop myself from rolling my eyes and instead, huff out a breath. He had obviously not understood my words. But, before I had a chance to say anything, the ring pierced through the air and English was over.

I smile and start to pack up my things. After zipping back up my pencil case, I stand up and slightly, _very_ slightly jump when I see Austin towering over me with the same smirk on his lips. I stare up at him- _stupid height difference_\- and challenge him to speak with my eyes without wanted to waste my breath on talking. That was a mistake.

"Aw, is Ally speechless at the sight of me?" Austin asks and then steps closer, again. His brown eyes become a slight shade darker and he focuses his intense gaze on me, hoping for a break. Too bad I don't care.

"Why are you always following me? Do you miss me _that_ much?" I fire back at him, smiling as I see his eyes widen. I keep our gazes locked while I circle around him and then I look away as I walk out the door, finally understanding the term 'Happy Friday.'

**Last period…**

I walk into the music room and plop down in my usual seat. I quickly flick my gaze around the room and see that I am pretty early. It was only me and the teacher. So, I shift lower on my chair to get in a good position and then, through all the stress of homework, my job and the Austin fan craze, I do something that I have never done before. I slowly relax and my eyelids close before I fall asleep.

Austin's POV

I walk into the music class, glad that the day was soon going to be over and we would be starting winter break. It would be nice to have my first long break after I moved to Miami. I move to my assigned seat at the front of the class and see that the class was still empty, besides me and the teacher. Then, I hear the quietest noise and turn to see Ally curled up in her chair, her small hand moving up to rub her nose. She must've sneezed. I then do a double take when I realize that Ally was sleeping. She was _sleeping. _I might've been new to this school but even I learned fast enough that Ally was the smartest and best student here. I never would've thought that she would pass out at school.

The longer I sat staring at Ally, dozing peacefully in the chair, my mind wandered to my other thoughts I've had of her recently. The most repetitive one being, _why is she resisting?_

Never have I come across someone like Ally. Even when I wasn't famous yet, girls still threw themselves at me because of my looks and charm. I must admit, that the feeling of being crowded and screamed at was getting a smidge overwhelming but... no, never mind. I am totally okay with being distracted from my school work and building a horrible player rep. Yeah, its fine. Anyway, I also didn't understand why Ally was so… bold with me. I mean, the thing she said on the day I met her about me… doing the… Moving on, I have never and will never do that to a girl. Even though I could get many girls, I would never do that unless it had meaning behind it. I would do it with someone I truly had feelings for. You know what? This is getting uncomfortable now so… let's continue.

"Hey Austin!" A girl, who I knew was named Brooke, came up to me. She stood so close that we were inches apart. Even I didn't invade Ally's personal space by this much. _Ally_. I'm thinking about her again. I shake my head slightly to clear my mind and look up.

"Hi Brooke, how's it-?" I stop short when the air leaves my lungs. This is because Brooke decided to suddenly drop into my lap, making me gasp in surprise.

"Austin Moon knows my name! He said my name!" Brooke squeals while in my lap and I hear many screams in response. That's when I realize that the classroom had filled up while I was lost in my thoughts. Then, I hear a familiar voice sigh and I whip my head around to see Ally slowly shifting in her seat. My heart rate sped up and I suddenly felt _wrong_. Without thinking about it, I quickly jump up and send Brooke to the ground. She looks up at me and my sudden feeling of alarm disappears and is replaced by guilt. I reach down and she grabs my hand immediately. Then, she swiftly pulls herself up and catches me off guard by wrapping her arms around me.

"Thank you Austin! You saved me! You are so strong" Brooke exclaims, causing all the other girls to squeal and run up to me too. They all wrap their arms around me and clutch onto my clothes like I might leave them. _Oh Gods_. I look around the room at the other guys in the class are giving me jealous looks and then a voice rings clear and sounds _very _annoyed.

"You've got to be kidding me right, Austin?" Ally says from behind me, looking very fumed even though she just woke up. "Can't we just have one class without all of this?" She raises her hand and gestured to my position.

And I had nothing to say.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Another day, another chapter! Let's begin!**

Ally's POV

I actually thought today was going to be a nice last day of school before the break. Sure, Austin was involved so it wasn't going to be great but, I at least wanted 'nice.' And, I thought I would've achieved my goal too. The day was fine after English. It was like every single day, loud but not wild. I had easy classes, well easy for me, and then finally, came that last period of the day. As you know, I let myself fall asleep while waiting for music to begin so let's continue from there.

As soon as I drifted unconscious, my thoughts all contained in my mind were free to drift and my imagination took over. My dreams flashed by, quickly and simply. A couple of me getting the record deal that I've always wanted- the news told to me by different producers, some of me standing up on stage, wearing my cap and gown with a smile on my face, glad that all my hard work had paid off and then, my thoughts seemed to darken. The scene looked beautiful but it was the person in the picture that made me worried.

_I smiled in relaxation as I felt the cool water hit my feet and travel between my toes in the sand. With one hand holding onto my sandals and the other one just freely swinging beside me, I continued to walk along the shoreline. After a couple more steps, I stopped and looked out towards the ocean, seeing the bright sunlight reflect on the surface of the water as it slowly set. The view was beautiful._

_ "Ally!" I hear a vibrant voice shout behind me. I slowly turn around and my eyes land on a handsome boy, his soft blond strands of hair flying slightly with the breeze. His twinkling brown eyes lock with mine and he runs towards me. When he is a little ways away, he stops and plants his bare feet in the sand. I smile and look up to his face._

_ "Austin, why are you here?" I ask, my tone light and only filled with curiosity, not accusation or demand. He just smiles and puts his hands on my shoulders; giving me a strange rush and making my cheeks redden._

At this point, I felt myself shift. Why was I responding like this? What was going on? But, I didn't open my eyes. I just continued to dream.

"_Ally…," he searched my face for emotion and I knew my eyebrows were furrowed, my lips pursed in concentration. He knew I was trying to figure out why I was acting like this. He knew I was going to stop it and wake up._

"_Ally, don't," he pleaded and then one of his hands moved from my shoulder and down my arm, leaving tingles. His hand reached my elbow and he pulled me closer, his eyes slowly focusing on my mouth._

I began to breathe heavily in my sleep and my head bobbed. Why was I dreaming this? But, even with all these negative emotions and thoughts, I couldn't tell if I was having a nightmare or if it was a pleasurable dream.

"_Ally," Austin repeated again and I felt our bodies touch, making butterflies explode in my stomach. We were inches apart, the closest I have ever been with him and I suddenly felt myself lean in._

And I thought this would've woken me up but my eyes stayed shut, wanting to continue the story. My breathing became rapid and my eyes would've been as wide as sand dollars if they were open. I willed myself to do anything, even smack him with one of my sandals but my subconscious was not obliging. For the however- many- time today, I thought, _why am I dreaming this?_ It was already strange but the craziest part was that _I_ was the one leaning in. _I_ was the one who wanted to kiss him, and it scared me to death.

_Austin and I were so close, staring into each other's eyes and I could feel his breathe tickling my cheek. I had no idea how long we have been in that position but suddenly, all natural light from the sky faded and was replaced by yellow fluorescent bulbs that lined the pier. And finally, without warning, we changed positions. Austin caressed my cheek before moving both his hands to my waist and I wrapped my hands around his neck. Our breathing became heavier and we started to close the remaining distance…_

Then, squeals invaded my mind and I jumped in my seat, my eyes finally blinking open and readjusting to the brightness of the room. I let out a long sigh and put a hand to my forehead, wanting my face to cool down. There were so many emotions rolling through me. Shock, confusion, disappointment. Wait- no, not disappointment. It was all a dream, that I was aware I was having, and I wanted to stop it too. So why was the tingly feeling in my stomach not gone yet?

Suddenly, more squeals irrupted throughout the room and my head snapped up to take in the scene in front of me. It was Austin. And every other girl part of the music class. They were all hugging him with their arms tightly around him and some were also grasping onto his clothes. My eyes narrowed and I was thankful that the feeling I had was gone, hopefully forever. I stood up and walked up to the group, never taking my eyes off the back of his blonde head. I had no idea why I was doing this but it was like he… betrayed me? I don't know how but the memory of the dream flashed in my mind when I stopped a good distance away.

"You've got to be kidding me right, Austin?" I say, annoyance seeping through my words. "Can't we just have one class without all of this?" I then raise my hand and gesture to the group. He seems frozen in shock and I feel my lips form into a straight line.

"Right Miss. Suzy **(from Soups &amp; Stars)**?" I turn to face the music teacher and see her in the middle of taking a picture of the group. Unbelievable.

"Um, right… you're right dear," Miss. Suzy says, a little distractedly while aiming the camera. I shake my head and luckily- for _them_\- before I can say anything else, the bell rings, signaling the end of the day.

I move across the room to grab my things while most of the boys also leave but, some stay and join Austin's crowd. I storm out of the room, beyond relieved that I would have a week to myself and then, I hear Austin shout my name.

But, the only difference this time is that I am alert and actually have the power to hit him with my shoe.

**Vacation time! It's going to get more interesting!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6- **She Doesn't Fall**

**The usual disclaimer note and such. Now, let's begin!**

Austin's POV

I slump on my bed and comb my fingers through my hair. Well that was a horrible last day. First, Ally blows me off _again_ and then she storms away after the scene in music class. I mean, in my defence, I honestly did not plan for that whole group of girls to come surround me. But, apparently the event finally made Ally snap. I guess she could though. I have been pushing her for four months and being the only girl who doesn't like me is probably really hard considering I show up everywhere.

I sigh and get ready for bed, glad that it was at least winter break now. I had one week all to myself and my thoughts. Maybe I could even get to walk around Miami- my old home- and see how it has changed. But, I couldn't do that. I was quite famous- if I could say so myself- and would be spotted instantly. Just as I thought that, the expected noise comes from outside my window and I hear shouts.

You see, ever since that attack at school, the principle and manager of the company have agreed that they could not come to school and take pictures. It would just be too distracting. So instead, now, they have scheduled an hour after school ends to come and surround my house until night time. Only problem for them is that I haven't gone outside yet, only exception is when I buy groceries but I try to do that on weekends or before school. I am smart you know.

But, now that school is out for a while, I am going to be completely bored with nothing to do. I blink and realize how tired I am. It took some getting used to, to the high school life and even after four months, I was still shocked with the amount of homework.

I blink again and then move to get comfortable in my bed. I sigh with the warmth of the covers and decide to think of my plan tomorrow. Then, I slowly drift asleep with the chatters and clicking of cameras outside.

**Next morning…**

I yawn and wake up to the smell of pancakes. Mmm. My favourite. Then, my eyes snap wide with fear and I almost roll off the bed. _I didn't make any pancakes. Why do I smell pancakes?!_ I think this while also reaching for my phone. I was going to call the police. Then, I hear familiar singing come from downstairs and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders when I know who it is. I quickly jump out of bed and make my way into my bathroom. I hurriedly brush my teeth and get dressed, wanting to head downstairs quick because even though I know the person downstairs, I don't know now he got in.

When I am done, I race down the stairs and then go to the kitchen. I walk in and am greeted with mix covering the counters and a stack of pancakes on a plate. Then, I raise my eyes and see Dez standing in front of the stove, singing a random string of words and flipping another warm pancake. I smile and walk up to him.

"Hey Dez. What's up?" I ask while reaching for the plate stacked high. He turns to me and just nods his head while he continues singing. I decide to question him later and just sit at my table to eat the pancakes.

After I was done, I put my plate in the sink and walk into my living room to see Dez on the couch, watching some random sitcom.

"Hey Dez, so thanks for the pancakes but, why are you here?" Then, I add as an afterthought, "how did you even get in here?" Dez chuckles and turns to face me.

"You're welcome, man. And, it's not really that hard to see the spare key hiding in the bushes." I smile sheepishly and remind myself to find a better hiding space later.

"And, as for why I'm here, Dallas told me to tell all the players that the football meeting we were having is now cancelled." I nod after hearing this.

"Dez, you know you could've called instead right?" I say, gesturing to my phone in my pocket. Dez suddenly turns red and jumps up, off the couch.

"I actually didn't think of that. Well, I'm glad you're the first person I have told. Thanks, man." I smile and then Dez lets himself out.

Great. Now my exciting morning and only company is gone. I walk up to my bedroom and pace around. Then, I walk to look out my window and my eyes light up. I have absolutely no idea how I have not noticed in four months but, across my house and a far distance away, I could see an area covered with sand and the sun's reflection was shining on the water. A beach.

I smile and turn to get ready but suddenly stop. The paparazzi. I groan and wished they would stop bothering me. Then, an idea came to mind. Something so risky that I was sure it wouldn't work. But, I was a teenager and I had to have fun. Besides, I can't just find a beach on the first day of break and not go. I would just have to be careful with my actions and make sure no one saw me entering and leaving the house. Yeah, this was going to work… I think. So, I walk to my drawer and find what I need.

Ally's POV

I wake up and immediately feel bored. Man, it was only the first day of break. I had to do something. I walk downstairs and see that my dad had already left for his convention. I sigh and then, an idea pops into my mind. I pick up my cell phone and dial Trish's number.

"Hey Trish. How's it going?" I ask, already getting excited over what I had planned.

"Oh, hey Ally! What's up?" I hear Trish's voice through the phone saying what I had hoped she would say.

"Nothing much, but since we haven't hung out in a while, do you want to come with me to the beach? We could have a girl's day!" I say this and wait anxiously for her answer, and it doesn't take long.

"Sure Ally! That'd be fun. How about I meet at your house in an hour?" I smiled and told Trish yes. Then, we hung up and I went to get ready.

Austin's POV

I fix my shades and look at my lame attempt to be unrecognizable. But, hopefully, no one would notice because they would be too busy enjoying themselves. I smile at myself one last time in the mirror before grabbing my towel and heading to my car.

**Please follow, fav and review! Thanks guys! **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

I step onto the warm sand and feel it tickle my feet. Trish and I had just arrived at the beach and we were already enjoying it. There were many indoor restaurants so that if we needed to cool down, we could go in there. Speaking of cooling down, the large view of clear blue water in front of us was so inviting. It looked spotless. And, even though the place was crowded, it was not the overflowing kind that made it uncomfortable to have fun. And, it was Trish's idea. There were many beaches in Miami but as soon as she arrived at my house, she said she wanted to come to this one. I gladly accepted, just enjoying the fact that we could spend time together.

"This is such a nice beach Trish!" I exclaim while still looking around. She smiled.

"Ya, my family always comes here for summer vacation. The water's always so clean and warm and this place is filled with so many memories." I smile at my best friend and then we walk around to find a place to settle.

**Later…**

Trish and I run out of the water and back onto the sand, laughing after our splash fight moments ago. We continue giggling as we walk back to our chairs. Suddenly, Trish stops me by putting her hand on my arm. I look at her and see she is staring at something. Then, I follow her gaze and my eyes widen. There were our chairs, exactly where they were supposed to be and both of our flip flops, still in the same place but, that was not what caught my attention. It was the guy lying on the chair beside mine. He was gorgeous. Well, from what I could see. He had a hat covering his face and sunglasses on. But, he didn't have a shirt on and his tan chest and six- pack was really something to look at.

Now, I don't normally check out guys, mind you, but he was really drawing attention. And I wasn't the only one who agreed. Trish fanned her face and sighed.

"Wow, he's seriously hot. Let's go talk to him!" Trish says this to me and I shake my head quickly.

"What!? No Trish! It's one thing to look but it'd be wrong to flirt with a random stranger," I say this with absolute seriousness and Trish finally agrees.

"Okay Ally. But, there's nothing stopping _him _from talking to_ you. _I mean, look at you!" Trish exclaims while gesturing to me. I raise an eyebrow and look down. All I could see was me in a yellow bikini. I didn't know what Trish was talking about. But I didn't want to pull an argument from this so might as well make her seem like she's right.

"Okay Trish. You're right but can we just ignore him and focus on our day?" she huffs but agrees and then we start talking as we walk back to our seats.

We sit down and put our shoes back on. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see the guy squirm in his seat and tip his head lower down. He looked like he was sleeping but by the way his chest was falling quicker than normal but not too fast, I could tell he was awake. Suddenly, I stop looking at the boy when Trish tugs on my arm. I turn and see a couple of girls from school behind her.

"Ally, I had so much fun today and I'm sorry we haven't been able to hang out lately but Cassidy and Brooke said there was this sale going on for Austin's merchandise and I have to go!" Trish said Austin's name and I could've sworn I heard a small squeak come from behind me. Ugh, I hope that attractive boy wasn't an Austin fan too. I turn my attention back to Trish and my eyes soften when I see that she is truly sorry for stopping our girl's day. I smile at her.

"It's fine Trish. I had a great day with you and I'm just glad that we're still best friends. We'll hang out later. Have fun!" I say this and then Trish and I hug before she leaves with Brooke and Cassidy. I watch them go and then I fall back onto my chair. I look out to the water and feel the breeze on my face. It actually wasn't so bad being alone. It was actually quite relaxing. I settle into the chair more and keep my eyes trained on the waves as they slowly make their way to the shore.

Suddenly, a beach volley ball flies through the air and heads in my direction. My eyes widen and I know it's going to hit me. I panic and give out a yelp as I roll off the chair and land on the sand. I look above me and see the volley ball land on my chair- where I was sitting moments ago- and after it stops moving, I stand back up and grab the ball. I see a couple of kids waving their arms and trying to apologize so I just smile and then pass the ball back to the little girl who came to me for it.

I sit back onto my chair and then see that I am covered with sand. I groan and start to brush it off. That's when I realize that the guy beside me was shaking with laughter and my face felt hot. _Wait to go Ally _I think. I turn slightly to face him and I quickly shut my mouth before I can gasp. He had tilted his head up and I could see his mouth. As he was smiling and laughing, his lips curved in a way that I was familiar with. It was the smile of someone who smiled at me every day. It was the smile of someone I couldn't stand. It was the smile of-.

"Austin?"

**Fun, fun, fun. Okay, until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

"Austin!" I say again with more force. I look at him but he keeps on breaking our gaze. I roll my eyes. As soon as I recognized his smile, it didn't take long to see the familiar blond hair sticking out of his hat or the way his cheeks turned this certain shade of pink when he was embarrassed. But, the only thing that was bothering me was that I had thought he was hot… too weird to even think about any more.

I lean in closer to Austin, slightly seeing his brown orbs through his sun glasses. I stare at him and then fold my arms across my chest. After what seemed like forever, he finally pulled his glasses lower on his nose and smiled his smile at me.

"Hey Ally, what's up?" he asks, raising his head to look at me more. I stare at his idiocy and burst out laughing. I continue until I feel like tumbling off the chair again and then, I stop and look at him.

"Really Austin? I just caught you in your… disguise," I say, motioning towards his hat and shades. "And you still want to flirt with me?" I double over laughing again until I couldn't breathe and then I sit up straight to look at him again.

"But, no. Seriously, what's with the cover?" I ask. He just raises an eyebrow and moves his head to look at everyone on the beach. I quickly catch on.

"Oh, because of the crowd and paparazzi?" I ask just to confirm. He nods his head and goes back to the position he was in before our conversation. I just lightly shrug my shoulders after he decides to stop our talk and then I also go back to looking at the ocean and enjoying the weather.

Now, as life would have it, I had only started to get comfortable for a couple of minutes before loud footsteps were heard, which was strange because the only ground was covered in sand, and then, lots of talking from the far left of the beach. I turn my head in curiosity and see a dozen of people walking around the beach with cameras, their heads craning to find someone and I knew that that person was right beside me. I turn to look at Austin and I freeze when I see that his hat is gone. I quirk my brow, having no idea what had happened to it. Then, I hear that the footsteps are closer and I am reminded of the second day of school. But, this time, we had nowhere to hide. And even if we could find somewhere, the paparazzi were so close now, they would surely spot Austin. I panic and then scan around. The only things close to us that I could see was… nothing. Not even a towel to cover him. I had everything in the change rooms and I guess he did to.

Suddenly, I hear a scream from behind us and I turn to see a little girl screaming to her mom, "Mommy is that Austin Moon?" I quickly curse under my breath before hearing the footsteps and people talking all at once. It sounds so loud and then, the whole area bursts into screams as every girl gets up and rushes to the group, offering to help find Austin. Well, except me.

I take in a deep breath as the group starts to split up and then I mentally hit myself for what I am about to do. It was risky and I felt like I had completely lost my head. But, I still felt my limbs moving against my thoughts. I try to draw as little attention to us as possible as I climb out of my chair and scoot closer to Austin. I wonder why he hasn't stopped me yet. Then, I throw one of my legs to the other side of his chair, thankful for my flexibility. I grab onto his shoulders and drop onto him, feeling his body undermine. I blush at our proximity and try to get his attention. "Austin!" I whispered into his ear. He didn't move. Then, I realized that the damn boy was sleeping! Who stays asleep during this?

"Austin! Wake up!" I say a little louder and then when he still doesn't move, I lean in and bite his ear. Not nibbling, mind you. I just want to wake him. And I think it worked. Austin starts to squirm but then, the whole crowd of public fan girls and paparazzi join back into a group and they start walking in our direction. I freeze when I realize that it might be Austin's noticeable blond hair drawing their attention. I groan and push myself higher. Unfortunately, this action caused me to grind against _that thing_ and Austin jerks awake. He yawns and tries to move. When he realizes that something is weighting him down, his eyes open wider and he finally sees my face, dangerously close to his. But, before I can explain, the crowd is no more than a few meters away, and it looks like all of their eyes are trained on us. I inwardly groan and hesitantly reach my arms up and wrap them around Austin's head, hoping that I am blocking any sight of Austin because if not, this would be the worst magazine cover ever.

We stay in that crazy position, Austin lying motionless below me, his breathes hot and rapid against my neck and me, completely on top of him, chest to chest with my arms wrapped tightly around his head. Finally, we both hear the people so loud that it seemed like they were behind us.

"I don't understand," I hear one say. The others mumble something too.

"That little girl said she saw him," one with a feminine voice says.

"Well, I guess she saw wrong. The only thing here is… a couple acting sexual," a man says and the others laugh at his choice of words. I blush wildly and feel Austin's heart beat faster on my chest. Then, the sounds become softer and when I finally dare to look, I see the group travelling down the other side of the beach. They weren't that far away yet but I bet they couldn't hear us.

So, once the coast is somewhat clear, I quickly get off of Austin and instantly, my body feels cool without the heat radiating off of him. I look down the beach and the crowd is farther away. I clear my throat and then turn back to look at Austin. He still sits on the chair, face flushed and unmoving. Déjà vu hits again and this is like on the second day of school. I walk up to Austin and crouch in front of him. Then, I roll my eyes as I raise my hand like last time. But, only difference is that this time, Austin snaps out of it quicker and when he sees my hand facing his cheek, he quickly raises his hand to guard his face. I laugh at this and then stand up and brush the sand from my skin.

Warmth suddenly seeps into my right shoulder and I look up to see Austin looking at me strangely. I nod my head, urging him to continue.

"Ally, what you did before… why? I mean, why did you…?" I smile at his nervousness and shrug out of his touch, immediately losing the warmth again. Weird.

"Hey, it's cool. I helped you with the paparazzi like before. It's no big deal." And, I meant it. I honestly didn't care what Austin thought of what I did but I did it to help him… and myself? No. only to help him. I frowned at the thought and Austin seemed to have the same expression. Then, he smiled and said, "well, to thank you, can I take you out to dinner later?" I scoffed at his attempt to ask me out but I was starving. I smiled and his eyes lit up. But, I just couldn't allow that.

"No. But, since I am quite hungry, you can drive me home so I can make some dinner. Thank you!" and with that, I turned around and headed to the change rooms.

**I don't know if you guys are frustrated at me or not about having Ally always reject Austin but some of the other stories, Ally always falls too soon and it's not as fun. And besides, my story **_**is**_** called 'She Doesn't Fall.' But don't worry, there will be Auslly. **

**Review, follow and fav! **

**Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9- **She Doesn't Fall**

**This story is just getting started!**

Austin's POV

I slip on a grey beanie over my head and slip my sunglasses onto my face before I step out of the change room. I didn't remember much of what happened an hour ago but I knew that the paparazzi were here and I did not need to be spotted right now.

I walk to an empty chair and plop down, my mind reeling from the past event.

**Flashback…**

_After I turned off our conversation, I let my mind drift on Ally. Luckily, I was wearing sunglasses so she didn't see me. For all I knew, she probably thought I was asleep. Anyway, I thought of how lucky I was to have been with Ally. This whole place, with all these people and I end up picking the chair next to hers. Speaking of sitting next to Ally, I tilt my head sideways and surprise myself when I felt like my jaw was going to drop. I mean, I have had a bunch of girlfriend's in the past and we have gone to the beach together and other stuff where I have seen them exposed but Ally was stunning. Her body, her curves, everything. The sun gave her skin such a nice tanned colour and her soft locks blew slightly with the wind. She was perfect. _

_ I felt like shaking my head. I have never thought about any girl like that before. I mean, my past relationships were nice and comfortable but every girl was so fake and they seemed to worship me. This made it hard to have an honest conversation. But with Ally, she was the exact opposite. She didn't care about me at all. Even after I continuously chased her since the day I arrived at school. Now, thinking back, maybe that is what pushed her away. She already thought I was a player so having me chasing her like that must've been quite annoying. Yet, I knew that as soon as school started again, I was going to keep doing it. _

_ I huffed out a quiet breath and thought maybe I would talk to her about it later. I peek to the side and see that Ally has turned back to look at the ocean. I smile and turn to look at the slow waves too. My eyes blink slowly as I watch the water hit the shore and then pull back. My head starts to nod and I feel myself fall asleep._

**Later…**

_ I feel a sharp pain on my earlobe and I stir. What was happening? I try to move but feel a heavy weight pinning me down. Then, I just decide to ignore it and I start to slowly doze off again. That is, until, something grinds itself into my object. I immediately turn hard and feel tingles swimming up to my stomach. I snap my eyes open and see beautiful brown eyes staring at me with worry. I furrow my eyebrows and then am aware of my surroundings. I can feel Ally on top of me, her breast pressed against mine, making me turn on even more. I also feel warmth seeping into my head where her hands were placed. They were not necessarily grasping my hair but spread wide, as if trying to cover it. I look up at her and she blushes. I cock my head slightly, waiting for an explanation but not pushing her off. I had to admit that I was enjoying this too much. _

_ Suddenly, voices come from somewhere close by and I feel Ally tense. I had enough common sense not to speak and we both strained our ears to listen. _

_ "I don't understand," someone says. The others mumble something too._

_ "That little girl said she saw him," one with a feminine voice says. My eyes widen when I realize that they were paparazzi. I started to panic a little and only afterwards did I feel embarrassed, seeing Ally look at me with concern._

"_Well, I guess she saw wrong. The only thing here is… a couple acting sexual." At his words, my breathing becomes shallow and I heat up. I sneak a glance at Ally and see that she is blushing. I smile at this, knowing that at least she feels something about this situation too._

_Finally, after a long period of time, the voices become fainter and the footsteps retreat. I sigh in relief and suddenly, all the heat I had just disappears. I fight back a whimper when I see Ally getting up and brushing the invisible sand from her body. She looks down the beach and I see the group of paparazzi even mixed with a bunch of girls walking farther away. Finally, I seem to realize what just happened. Ally had just saved me, basically. Again. And through most of it, I was knocked out. Great Austin. You're amazing. I take in a deep breath and attempt to slow down my heart. It doesn't work as long as I am looking at Ally._

_There I go again! Why am I acting like this? I never had to chase girls in the past. They came to me. But, I guess there really was something more special about Ally. Maybe I was actually starting to like her. Not just play. But, that would never work. One, because he had to keep his 'bad boy, player' act. His parents- shockingly- said that this was a good way to attract attention. Apparently everyone loves sexy troublemakers. Anyway, I also can't like Ally more than this playful friendship we are starting to develop because, oh yeah, she barely wants anything to do with me. _

_For some odd reason, that thought upset me. I quickly brushed it away though. I look up and a smile makes its way onto my lips at the sight of Ally, standing in front of me. She is looking into the distance, playing with the end of her hair. Suddenly, confusion slams into me and I replace my previous thoughts about Ally and my relationship and instead think of the memory that just happened minutes ago._

_I feel my legs move forward without my input and then, I see my hand reaching and then resting on Ally's shoulder. Sudden warmth travels up my arm but, I just push it away, thinking it was nothing._

"_Ally, what you did before… why? I mean, why did you…?" I can't think of anything more proper to say at the moment and I curse under my breath. What is happening to your skills, Austin? I think this and remember all those times when I've flashed my heart melting smile and wooed every girl with my words. But, something was happening to me. Or someone was making this happen._

"_Hey, it's cool. I helped you with the paparazzi like before. It's no big deal," Ally says this and I frown without realizing it. We were just pressed up together and I knew that I wasn't the only one who felt something. And I know that it was a big deal. Austin! Stop! You know that nothing can happen. I feel like groaning and splashing cool, salty water onto my face to clear my head. But, the rest of my brain doesn't agree with that plan. Instead, it tells me mouth to say what I usually do after this situation._

"_Well, to thank you, can I take you out to dinner later?" I say, staring at her. Ally hesitates for a moment and then, smiles. My eyes instantly light up, thinking that she was actually going to except my offer. Unfortunately, I missed the mischievous glint in her eyes. _

"_No. But, since I am quite hungry, you can drive me home so I can make some dinner. Thank you!" Ally's voice rings clear and I almost get entranced by it. Sadly, I understood that she had rejected me… again. I huff out an annoyed breath and turn around to follow the brunette to where the change rooms were._

**End of flashback…**

I play with my fingers after thinking back to what had happened. I decided that I would dwell on my feelings later. So, after countless minutes of arguing with myself, I decided that I would think about this soon, but not now. And perfect timing too, for as soon as I collected myself, Ally appeared from the female change room, her hand moving to position her purse on her shoulder. I smiled when Ally spotted me and she walked up to me. I stood up and without speaking- because I knew she would understand- I turned and walked out into the open air and onto the hot sand. Just as I knew she would, Ally followed beside me, also without a word. It was not uncomfortable though. We were enjoying each other's company and the Miami weather.

Then, Ally visibly stilled next to me. I turned to look at her and her mouth is open, looking like she is about to groan. Her face suddenly becomes paler and she looks at me, both annoyed and worried.

"Austin," Ally says, like she has no more energy. I wait for her to continue, my stance ready if she feels like fainting or something because she seriously looks ill. But, who would've thought that I was the one who was about to faint when Ally uttered her next sentence.

"Austin, look behind you." My stomach churned as I quickly whipped around. I knew this was not going to be good. And was I ever right. Only a couple short meters away, I saw a huge mob of fans, adults, reporters and paparazzi. Everyone was screaming, the cameras were already raised and sand was kicking up everywhere as the crowd rushed in our direction. And I knew that it wasn't just in our direction, they were headed directly at us, because even with my cover, they knew.

"Austin…," Ally trails off with worry laced in her voice. But, she didn't have to finish. I could guess what she wanted to say. This was not going to be good.

**What do you think they're going to do? The next chapter is going to be more… adventurous and also, I hope you guys like my story so far.**

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**Thanks, xoxo.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

Of course. Just when I thought that Austin would just drive me home and then we would never see each other during this break again, something had to happen. And I could tell from Austin's face that this 'something' was major. His face was frozen in fear that even the Miami heat couldn't shock him out of. His lips were slightly parted as if he was about to scream and his usually tanned face has gone pale in a matter of seconds. I quickly observed him. Even if I didn't know Austin that well, I could tell that the paparazzi were bad news for him. I mean, some celebrities also dislike the press and such, but for Austin; he seemed to even be scared of them. That might explain why he is still stuck in the same position.

"Austin!" I hiss frantically, seeing that the giant crowd was closing in. I start shaking him when he doesn't respond and luckily, Austin zoomed back into reality quick and he turns to face me. His voice sounded nervous and I wasn't prepared for what he said next.

"Ally," he rushed, probably wanting to talk quickly so we could leave faster.

"You've already done enough for me. I'm going to bring you home and then I'll go back to my house." I was surprised. Austin was really just going to drop me home and then spend the rest of his break cooped up inside his house? Some part of me was relieved that I wouldn't have to see Austin until school started. I wouldn't have to deal with his constant flirting and the paparazzi. I could just enjoy my warm time away from school and away from the trouble that came with Austin. But, the bigger part of me was incredibly guilty of what Austin was going through. I mean, every famous person gets followed by the people searching for gossip but Austin was young. He was just a senior and this must get overwhelming on him. Not to mention that after he dropped me home, he would most likely be stuck in his house while the paparazzi chased him.

My stomach rumbled. But, it wasn't just from hunger this time. The fact that Austin was going to waste time driving me home and then he was going to spend the break by himself was very unsettling. I looked up into his piercing brown eyes and my mind was set. Besides, I'm Ally Dawson. I do the right thing.

"No, Austin. I'm not just going to go home when the paparazzi seem to be hunting you." I say this and try to sound as determined as possible. I don't think it worked though.

"Ally-," Austin tries to protest. I raise my hand to stop him.

"Don't even try. I am going to help you, but first…," I look over Austin's shoulder and am alarmed by how much closer the group has gotten since I last looked. They were close enough that I could now see everyone's faces. I made a disgusted face at the expressions everyone had. They all looked evil and so proud that they had found Austin. It was a little sickening.

"…We need to leave this place," I finish, with a frown. Austin thinks for a minute.

"I don't think we can use my car. It was probably the reason why they knew I was at the beach." Austin looks at me hopefully and I know exactly what he wants.

"Okay, then. We'll use my car. Let's go," I say before we both turn around and run across the beach to the parking lot.

Austin's POV

My jaw drops and I am surprised with how long it took. Before, I wanted to drop it when Ally had declined my offer to get away from me. I mean, I know that she is the sweetest person ever but I honestly thought she wanted to never see me again until school started.

But, that wasn't the most shocking event to me. Not even when Ally climbed on top of me to hide me from the paparazzi. No, those times had nothing on this. We were standing in the parking lot and Ally had just led me to her car. Yes, the cause of my humiliation and why my mouth was now wide open is because of her car. The vehicle was parked before me and it _did_ look pretty sweet. But, my mouth just would not close. The entire body was covered in hot pink. The kind that Barbie wore. There were some music notes and flower magnets stuck to the trunk and even the windows were tinted with a light rose shade. The same colour as my cheeks now too.

Ally glanced over at me and I could tell she was trying not very hard to stop her giggles. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was standing in shock. Most of me was beyond relieved of her car's appearance. This was the perfect vehicle to leave in. No one would even imagine Austin Moon in this car. But, a small part of me holding my manly pride was completely mortified. I would not get into this car. Even if no one saw me, it would crush my reputation forever.

"Austin, meet Delilah." Ally says with some loud giggling afterwards. I was under the impression that she wanted me to be as awkward as possible. And it was absolutely working. My cheeks darkened and I looked at the car.

"Delilah," I said with a nod. Ally continued laughing and after a couple seconds, I felt my face cool down.

"Okay, let's just… um… go now," I say without looking at Ally. Instead, I was straining my head to see if anyone was watching me as I slowly inch towards the car, hoping to draw no attention.

"Austin, slowly creeping won't help you. It'll just make you look like a wannabe spy or something. Now, hurry up!" Ally says after she passed me and was in the process of opening the passenger side door.

I sigh and pick up my pace until I am also opening the driver's door. We both climb in and as soon as I hear the slam of both the doors, some loud talking is heard outside.

"Hey! Keep on looking! Austin can't be that far," some voice says. I tense and wait for the person to continue.

"You guys, go make sure Austin's car is still here and the rest of us will continue looking. We need to find him." The voice stops and I don't hear anything for a while. I slightly cock my head in both directions and when it seems like no one is watching, I dive my arm towards the glove compartment and pull it open. I am greeted with a bunch of CD's, some papers and then, after a little more shuffling, I pull my hand back in triumph.

"Here, wear this," I say to Ally, passing her the scarf I found. She obliges and I'm guessing I really look like a mess if she's not attempting to argue. I take a deep breath and start the car. After I hear the engine, we slowly drive out of our parking spot- only to be quickly stopped by a tap on the passenger side window. I look out of the corner of my eye and stop myself from gasping. There was a small girl standing outside and looking at Ally. She was young, with funky clothes and a bright smile. And I knew exactly who she was. Megan Simms. She was Cheetah Beat's best and most determined photographer. And even if Ally didn't know that, I bet she guessed who she was by the camera that Megan was holding. Ally cleared her throat and slid the window down half way. I only knew this because I could hear it. My head was actually facing the other direction to my window and I was trying to steady my breathing.

"Um, hi sweetie. Is everything okay?" Ally says in a gentle voice that sounds naturally calm. I feel my pulse slow down and I decide that Ally can handle this situation. That is, until Megan starts talking.

"Actually no," she starts in her cheery voice. "I'm looking for Austin. Have _you _seen him?" Megan asked and I could practically see her staring accusingly at Ally. A couple seconds pass and I am afraid that Ally was crumbling under the pressure. I am about to turn around and give myself up when Ally speaks, her voice as clear as when I heard her talk to the paparazzi on the first day.

"Sorry, I haven't seen him. I mean, do _you_ even expect to find him in a place this big?" and then I imagine her swooping her hand to motion to the area.

"And besides, you're young. You should be out enjoying your weekend instead of chasing after some egotistical pop star." A frown appears before I can stop it. Does Ally _really_ think that? Me, egotistical? Well, I think back to how I am constantly thinking about myself and how upset I got when I found out that Ally had no interest in me. But, I didn't like the paparazzi. That shows that I'm not self- centered, right? Sadly, I knew the answer was not good.

I am brought out of my negative thoughts when Megan talks to Ally again.

"I guess you're right. Well, thanks! Bye!" Then, in a flash, Megan is somewhere farther down in the parking lot and my chest feels so much lighter, like I just dropped a huge weight I was forced to carry. I turn to Ally.

"Um, Ally, did you really mean what you said about me being egotistical?" I ask her, a little afraid of the answer. Ally just chuckles lightly and she turns her body to face me.

"No, Austin. I only said that to convince that girl that you were no big deal. I guess, you are just a tiny bit but that's you, so who am I to judge?" I smile at her response and for a second, some kind of look flashes across Ally's sparkling brown eyes but then, it is gone so quickly that I'm not even sure if I saw anything in the first place. I just forget about it and then Ally yawns.

"Okay, now that that's done, let's go. I've had enough of the beach." I was about to agree completely with her but then a loud, perky voice screams and I swear I was about to faint from the exhaustion and unfairness of today. But, apparently, my body wouldn't sleep. It wanted me to experience all of this terror and nervousness.

"Guy's, hurry up! Austin is in that pink car with that girl!" Megan's voice is heard loud and clear and I want so bad to collapse in defeat. But, I forgot about the brunette in the car with me.

"Austin, are you buckled up? Good. Let's go!" Ally says, full nervousness oozing in her voice but, she sounded confident and determined too. I stared at her in awe until about 3 black vans pulled out of their parking spot a couple cars down and I knew what was going to happen.

"Yep, let's go," I agree as I push down on the gas pedal and then, we speed away from the beach with the 3 paparazzi filled vans chasing us.

**So, what'd you all think? Good? Bad? Also, please review, follow and fav! **

'**Till next time, bye!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11- **She Doesn't Fall**

**So, a couple of you thought that my last chapter was inspired by the Disney original show, Starstruck. And, you are all correct. I was just watched it and the characters ishy resembled mine in my story so I just decided to add my favourite part in this chapter too. But, don't let this fool you. Everything beyond this event is going to be hectic and nothing like the movie.**

**Okay, so I hope you enjoy and please, please review!**

Ally's POV

I grip both of my hands tightly to the sides of my chair until I felt like I was losing circulation in them. Suddenly, my car sped forward in a burst of speed and I felt my back slam into the chair, for the _fourth_ time since the driver hit the gas. I groaned and turned my head to look at the guilty victim driving this car: Austin.

As soon as I saw those couple of black vans, I officially hated that little girl. I mean, they're paparazzi, not serial killers. Cut the huge dark vans please? Anyway, I figured Austin saw them too because before I could turn to warn him, he said, "yep, let's go," before pushing down on the gas and sending us down the road in an unbelievable speed.

So, now here we were. I was holding onto my car for dear life while Austin seemed like he thought he was a race car driver or something. In other words, this was the craziest car ride I've ever been on.

"Austin! You need to _slow down_!" I shout frantically, while getting whiplash from moving my head quickly in every direction to look out for the vans, innocent pedestrians and police officers. So far, we don't have any trouble with the last two but I could see the 3 vans in the distance. Obviously, Austin's horrifying speed made it quite difficult to catch up. Speaking of which-.

"Austin! Slow down!" I try again, but like the first time, he doesn't respond and focuses on the road. I guess that was all I could ask of him was to keep us on the road and not into a ditch but one look at the speedometer and I could see that he was only picking up speed.

Options rolled in my head. I couldn't shove him because that would distract from his driving. I also couldn't make him pullover to let me drive because one, I didn't think he was even listening to me much less agreeing with my idea and two, there was no way he would risk wasting time that would allow the vehicles to catch up. So, basically, there was nothing I could do except scream at him. So, that's exactly what I did.

"Austin! Listen to me! You _have_ to slow down!" I literally scream into his ear and he flinches.

"Ally, you don't understand. I can't let those paparazzi catch up to us." I cock my head and try to figure out why he said that. _What don't I understand? _Suddenly, the little needle moves higher and Austin is officially going crazy. I gulp and quickly forget what I was thinking about. Instead, I reach my hand into the glove compartment and swiftly pull it back seconds later with a map in my grasp._ Okay, _I think. _If I can't convince him, do the opposite_.

"Austin, um..," I say before I move my head closer to the sheet and trace my finger across it.

"Take the next left," I say, completely aware of the uncertainty in my voice. In all honesty, I have no idea how to read a map but if Austin listens to me and slows down, it will be worth it. And I almost collapse with relief when the car visibly slows and Austin turns left like I instructed.

"Thanks for helping me, Ally," Austin says with full gratitude. I smile after catching my breath after all this time and turn to look at him.

"Austin, what don't I understand? What did you mean when you said that?" I can see Austin's hands turn paler as his grip on the steering wheel gets tighter and I know something is wrong. Austin hesitantly turns to look at me and I see something flash in his eyes. Something I have never seen before. It looked almost like… pain. I lean in closer but the look is gone as soon as it came. I shook my head but I knew that I was not imagining anything. This boy was hiding something.

"Um, it was nothing, Ally. You can just forget about it, okay?" Austin says these words and I can tell each and every one of them was forced. But, seeing him right now, his grip deathly on the wheel and him looking like he wanted to tuck and roll out of the car just to avoid this conversation, I knew I would only make it worse to push. But next time. Hopefully soon.

I look back to the road and see that we were driving down a narrow rocky path. The ground was littered with leaves and mud. On the left and right were trees and bushes and we seemed to be the only people on this road. This made me a little worried. I leaned forward and grabbed the map off the dashboard. Then, I examined it more thoroughly.

"Yes! We finally lost the paparazzi!" Austin cheers happily. He looks over at me and the car lurches forward as Austin stomps on the brake and almost stops the car completely. Then, he drives at a very slow pace since the vans were no longer chasing us and were out of sight.

"Ally, are you okay?" He asked, his happy expression now replaced by a worried one. He scans his eyes over my face and sees that it has gone slightly paler and there were beads of sweat on my forehead. Now, since we were in Miami, I could've easily played it off as the weather being too hot but in all honesty, I was starting to panic.

"I'm fine. It's just that… I think we're lost." I feel the car slow even more as Austin takes in my words and then looks around to see no other cars or pedestrians. His face than slowly resembles my expression and I feel my back hit against the back of my chair as Austin stops the car completely.

"Ally! I thought you knew where you were going!" Austin bursts suddenly, turning to me. I gasp at his sudden change of tone. I was only trying to help him. Then, I did something I rarely do, I shouted back with equal fire.

"Why are you blaming me? You were the one trying to get us killed!" I say, my voice rising higher with all the frustration I was holding in while he completely ignored me during our 'escape.' But, after I said that, my stomach churned. I never acted like this. It was only since Austin arrived that I actually started to act… well, bad. I mean, that stunt I pulled back at the beach, I felt like I was going to be haunted forever. I mean, I felt so dirty. _But, you have to admit you enjoyed it. You know, the heat, the closeness…_ I stopped myself from gasping. Why would I think that? Suddenly, Austin brought me out of my little head war, sadly, by yelling at me.

"Well, at least _I_ can read a map," Austin yells and snatches the map from my grip, rather harshly too. My eyes widen and I scowl. _Of course_, I realized. It was all an act. _This _is the real Austin. I should've known before helping him. My heart beat sped up and I realized how close I was to liking Austin. How close I was to letting him use me as the foot stool to the throne he sat on, just like everyone else. _I don't think so_ I say in my head. I narrow my eyes at him and lean back, not wanting to be so close to him anymore. He does this too with a on his lips and we stare at each other for a couple seconds. All the tension builds up and I can't stand it.

"Just- just take me home now," I say, stuttering with all the anger and bitterness evident in my voice. Austin just looks at me and I refuse to look back. Though, out of the corner of my eye, I see him move back into a driving position and he steps on the gas.

We don't move.

"What are you waiting for?" I ask with no more patience. Austin doesn't respond. He just frowns and presses his foot on the pedal again. But, we are still in the same place.

"Austin!" I hiss. "Why aren't we moving?" He turns his head to the side to look at me and all I can see is confusion.

"How am I supposed to know?" He response. Then he mutters, "this is _your_ car."

"What?" I say, shocked that he was trying to blame me again. I mean, he is the one driving. When Austin doesn't say anything, I huff and take off my seat belt. Then, I roll down my window. Even though Austin seems to be ignoring me, he follows my actions. We both lean our heads out the windows and I gasp loudly.

Half of every tire was covered in mud and I could see my car slowly inching to the ground. Air bubbles pop occasionally and the pool of mud and water ripples when the car suddenly drops a couple centimeters. My face turns red and I am beyond angry. I carefully pull back into the car and I quickly swivel to Austin. I move into his personal space and look him in the eyes. Austin's were wide at seeing me so angry and in his face, but I couldn't care less right now.

"AUSTIN MOON!" I scream with fury. "How dare you drive _my _car into _quicksand?_"

**If you are confused of the sudden attitude changes, I will explain in later chapters.**

**Anyway, what'd you all think? Give me your thoughts and follow and fav!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Okay, It's now Austin's turn. Hope you all enjoy and since I am now on break, I have more time to write!**

Austin's POV

_ Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ I think to myself continuously. But, no matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking the word, not that I was trying hard too in the first place but, because I knew I was right. I was so unbelievably stupid!

So, Ally and I were just driving down the highway with her screaming at me and I was enjoying her panic so much, it was hard to keep a straight face and pretend I was focused on the road. Ally didn't know how fast I drove back in Cali so it was just too much fun watching her think that I was insane.

But, in my defense, I was driving fast to get farther away from the 3 vans a long distance back. And, we would've been farther if Ally didn't keep on shouting at me. But, I guess I was scaring her to death, so her actions were acceptable.

"Austin! Listen to me! You _have_ to slow down!" Ally screams again but this time, she leaned in closer and my ears vibrated from her loud voice. I flinch and while caught off guard, I open my mouth and just say the first thing on my tongue.

"Ally, you don't understand. I can't let those paparazzi catch up to us," I say and then my eyes widen. _Why did I just say that?_ I scream to myself. Suddenly, too familiar voices invade my mind. "Camera boy!" one says and then he laughs before walking off. "Hey, what're your parents doing?" another one says with mock curiosity. "Wait, never mind. I'll read about it tomorrow," he says before running to his friends. I sigh angrily and the voices vanish. Then, another familiar one replaces them but this time it is in reality.

"Austin, um..," I hear Ally say and I am swiftly aware of my surroundings again. I probably zoned out a little. I glance at the speedometer and my heart skips a beat. I was going so fast. I have never driven at the speed I was before. But, I look at the rear view mirror and I see the vans are still behind us. Closing the distance even, if that was possible. I glare at the mirror and the voices start to slowly come back. They get stronger and louder the longer I am staring at the black vehicles and I get angry.

"Take the next left," Ally says and I force myself to push my feelings down. I feel like they will come bursting back up soon though. I look over at the brunette and see that she is turning a map around in her hands. _Wow, she's agreeing with me. _That must mean that I have brought her to her final opinion. I decide to accept her help and give her a break. For just a little while, though. I start to slow down and I turn left as Ally said.

As soon as we are off the major highway, I look straight and see a rocky but straight road ahead of us. There were trees everywhere and dirt and mud covered the ground. I looked a little while longer and saw that the ground was shiny as if it was wet but I brushed it off, thinking it was the cars' head lights.

"Thanks for helping me, Ally," I say, out of the blue, thinking that an apology was not enough. She has really helped me so many times, even if she looks like she has no interest in my. And, of course she does but-.

"Austin, what don't I understand? What did you mean when you said that?" I groan to myself and wish that more than anything that she didn't bring up the subject again. But, too late as I can already feel my heart beat faster. _Where's your camera, famous boy? _A voice mocks in my head. _Hey, what's going on with your parents? Wait. I'll see tomorrow,_ someone else says to me before leaving. I open my mouth to answer Ally, the same girl who was looking at me worriedly, but nothing comes out. My grip on the steering wheel tightens but that seems to be the only thing I can control. My mind was still racing with horrible images, my foot was barely pressing the gas, causing the car to slow even more, and my tongue was still trying to cooperate with me.

"Um, it was nothing Ally," I manage to cough out. "You can just forget about it, okay?" Ally looks at me like she just witnessed me running over a person. By that, I mean scared and worried. She opens her mouth and then clamps it shut a moment later. Which, I was thankful for. I had had enough for today. First the paparazzi, that started this in the first place… I bring my eyes up to the rear view mirror, curious to see if Ally's directions had helped. And all I see is the nature we had driven past. And, more importantly, no black vans.

"Yes! We finally lost the paparazzi!" I exclaim in triumph, also relieved that my tongue was finally acting normal. It would've been quite embarrassing if I screamed and instead a squeak came out. I shook my head at my imagination. I would never squeak. I settle down and face Ally. Immediately, my eyes lock onto her unnaturally pale face and see her staring intently at the map she had picked up again. Automatically, I step on the brake and the car halts in a second. Ally looks at me with confusion and I don't know if it is because of me or something else but at least I think she is okay, physically. So, with that in mind, I drive the car again, but this time agonizingly slow- which I don't mind in this moment- and am in 'adult' mode in an instant.

"Ally, are you okay?" I question her, not failing to see the sweat starting to form on her brow.

"I'm fine. It's just that… I think we're lost." She says a little sheepishly. My eyes widen and my foot is barely even putting any force on the pedal so the car is going as slow as humanly possible. Then, I look at my surroundings and it seems like I finally realize that we were the only car on this road. Which was stupid, but not the completely and unforgivably stupid thing I was talking about earlier. No, this was just a small part that fueled it.

I felt my cheeks redden. _I'm the driver! How did I not notice that this wasn't even a road_? And after this thought, then came the really stupid part.

I was now fully focused on this path, hoping that it would lead to the main road soon. But, I just had to get distracted for one tiny second. And, in that measly second, I thought of why we were in this position in the first place. The paparazzi. I wished from the bottom of my heart that they would just leave me alone. _It's all because of them_ I think and then, I see.

_I was mindlessly playing around by the slide when I feel something uncomfortable on my back. I cringe and turn around to see a couple of the people from the popular group. But, I was mainly focused on the boy holding the shovel. Probably the same one that was used to dump the sand down my shirt a few moments ago._

"_Hey, supa star!" one of the boys say, while flipping his hair and giving his impression of a diva. The other boys laugh behind him and I feel my cheeks heat up._

"_Ah, Austin, better get some make up to cover your red face. Don't want that to land on the cover," another boy says while gesturing to my cheeks. Again, the other kids laughed and I could only feel my knees trembling and my eyes were focused on the ground._

"_Well, we better go get camera ready, in case some of your _buddies_ show up. See you!" they say before they stride off. As soon as they are far enough, I climb under the playground structure and just stand there bawling my eyes out._

And just as quick as that memory came, it was gone and I was left feeling flustered and angry. _Stupid paparazzi! Stupid memories!_ I kept thinking over and over again. And, I couldn't control anything. It was like everything that has happened to me involving those reporters and photographers had finally got to me and I snapped… at the first thing I saw.

"Ally! I thought you knew where you were going!" I exclaimed, barely aware if what I was saying. Ally then screamed at me and I only felt angrier.

"Why are you blaming me? You were the one trying to get us killed!" she yelled, referring to my excellent driving skills.

"Well, at least _I_ can read a map," I threw back at her. Then, I reached forward and harshly ripped the map from Ally's hand. When I drew back, I saw Ally looking at me, wide eyed but extremely mad. Her face was tinted red from her screaming and her lips were set in a scowl. She leaned back and pressed her back onto the door, as if wanting to decrease all the space between us. And I, not wanting to back down, also did that and then, we just glared at each other in silence.

Finally, when I was about to break it, Ally beats me too it and she sounds dejected. As if all her energy has left in those seconds after she stopped screaming.

"Just- just take me home now," she spat, without looking at me. But, I could tell that she was hurt. And I was beating myself up because I was the reason. Fortunately, all my anger was now gone but my chest felt incredibly heavy because of how I released it. _Stupid. _But, it would be even more incompetent of me to try to apologize to the fuming brunette now so I just turn to start up the car again. I press my foot down on the gas but we don't move.

"What are you waiting for?" Ally asks, sounding exasperated. I don't respond and push my foot down harder on the pedal. But, like last time, the car stays unmoving.

"Austin! Why aren't we moving?" Ally questions me again. She looks over at me and there is an annoyed look clear on her face. I sigh, not sure what the answer was.

"How am I supposed to know?" I say to her, my patience also thinning. After all, this is Ally's car.

"What?" Ally asks me, her voice filled with so much venom. _Oh, did I say that last part out loud? _I am still wrapped in my thoughts when Ally unbuckles her seat belt. Then, when I hear her window slide open, I find myself copying her and then, I feel the slight breeze hit my face as I stick my head out the window.

At first, the sight confused me. Then, I began to make out some important details. Like how I could only see half of the black tires because the only half was covered in mud. But, maybe not covered. Maybe, it was sinking in the mud…

Then, I noticed how air bubbles popped around the car and when I leaned closer, I saw that my observation from earlier was correct. The mud _was_ wet. _Wait, that can't mean…?_ But, the answer to my unfinished question suddenly appeared as the car dipped lower into the mud. My eyes widened in shock and I pulled myself back into the car and I slowly sat down.

But, a moment later, I was forced around and I locked eyes with Ally's brown ones. Then, mine widened when I could feel her heavy breathing on my face, meaning that she was in my personal space. But, this wasn't a happy situation. Ally was furious and her eyes were dark.

"AUSTIN MOON!" She screamed with hatred. "How dare you drive _my _car into _quicksand?_" Then, she moved back but she kept her eyes locked with mine and I couldn't speak. All I could do was stare at the fire in Ally's eyes.

**Can you guys take some time to review? I honestly don't know what you think of this story. Should I continue it? What do you like or dislike?**

**Anyway, if Austin's flashback seemed confusing, good. It's a foreshadow and I will explain more in a later chapter.**

**Okay, bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13- **She Doesn't Fall: part one**

**This is it. I hope you're ready.**

**Standard disclaimer and such. Now, let's begin!**

Ally's POV

I draw back and not once do my eyes break their gaze with Austin's. And why would I look away? I had to be in control here. Like, the jerk drove my car into quicksand. And as I am thinking this right now, I feel the car drop a little lower. At this, my anger only intensifies. And sadly, I no longer feel guilty. Austin had changed me. I could barely handle all those months and endless comments from him and now, all my anger has come out. I was just afraid that I would never be the same. This thought weighed me down and I frowned.

Suddenly, the car dropped again and this time, I grabbed hold of the sides of the chair for balance. I quickly turned my head to look out my window and my eyes grew wide when I saw that the ground was closer than before. Right now, I wouldn't care if all the paparazzi in the world came and Austin fainted from fright. I just wanted to get out of this situation.

Then, I heard a window slide down and I turned just in time to see Austin let go of the button when the window was fully opened. _Does he want to fill the inside of my car too?_ I think bitterly. Austin pokes his head out the window and looks around. Then, he comes back in and I roll my eyes at what he says next.

"Ally, do you trust me?" I scoff at his utterly ridiculous question and narrow my eyes at him.

"Considering you drove my car and it is now sinking in quicksand, what do you think?" I say, trying to keep my anger down because honestly, even if I was beyond mad, shouting would be an irresponsible thing to do right now. But, it almost seemed like Austin wanted to push my buttons.

"I think you do trust me, even if you don't want to show it," the blond says with a smirk. I just roll my eyes again but then Austin completely surprises me when he jumps up and sticks half of his body out the open window. I gasp when Austin's huge action causes the car to sink again and I scramble to open my window too. _This is a bad idea_ I think to myself when the window rolls all the way down with a click. I knew I shouldn't have been following him but really, I had to admit that in my moment of indecision on what I should do, I just let my body do whatever it wanted. And it seemed like it wanted to get me killed.

I draw in a shaky breath as I grip onto the side of the car. I steady one of my feet onto the window frame and then my other. My whole body is shaking with nervousness as I push upwards and try to suction my hands onto the roof of my car. Suddenly, a warm hand reaches down and grasps mine. Immediately, tingles shoot up and down my arm and through my body. I gasp at the feeling and then in a blink of an eye, I am standing on top of my sinking car.

"Thanks," I mumble, as I quickly pull my hand out of Austin's. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to think much of it. _Then why am_ I? I wonder with full confusion.

"See! I knew you trusted me," Austin beams. I sigh and then occupy myself by scanning our situation. Obviously, my car was still slowly sinking. But, that wasn't the problem. Austin had gotten us out of the car, but we needed to get away from it _and_ the quicksand. So, we need something…

"There, that huge branch!" Austin exclaims, looking at a rather large tree branch on the side of the road. It was quite far but we could reach it. The only problem was that it looked kind of unstable, just sitting on an angle there.

"Um, I don't know-," I start, while noticing all the bark was almost gone. _The branch must be old and about to die._

"Ally, its fine. Let's just go," he says while shuffling to the hood of my car. I hesitate and then follow suit, glancing repeatedly to the ground, alarmed that I could just dip my foot and it would be completely covered in the wet sand.

I shake away those negative thoughts and just stand on the hood, observing Austin make his way to the branch. First, he puts one foot on the branch and it looks like he is attempting the splits. Then, with effort, Austin pushes forward and now, his entire body is not touching the car. Instead, he was balancing on the branch, still halfway away from the dry road.

"Okay Ally, now, do what I just did and follow me," Austin shouts without turning around. My eyes widen and I furiously shake my head, even though he couldn't see me. But, in the end, I am getting ready to put my foot on the stick. Unfortunately, not because I was incredibly courageous. It was because of the fact that the mud was now starting to crawl onto the hood. I suck in a breath and then feel a moment of lightness as I am in the air and then, I land on the piece of wood with a thud. I steady myself and then look straight to see Austin staring at me proudly. I just look away and proceed to move one foot in front of the other. After a couple of seconds, I look up to see Austin at the very end of the branch. He then takes a giant step and he lands on the dry, safe ground. I hear him sigh and that only makes me more anxious to get away from this sand, because I am now more than half way across the branch.

"Damn it," I hear Austin whisper. I whip my head up and see him holding his cell phone to the sky. My guess was that he was trying to find a signal. And, I was correct.

"Ally, you're doing fine. I'm just going to head down the road a little and see if I can get a signal. Is that okay?" And, at this exact moment, is where I shape everything. I thought that since Austin made it so easily across, I wouldn't have a problem either. I was too proud and thought that I could make it and when I got there, Austin would've already called someone for help. And that is one of my largest mistakes ever. But I didn't know that when I had answered him.

"Ya, sure. I'm almost there," I reply as I re- focus my attention to my feet. I hear Austin quickly say an "okay" and then his loud footsteps retreat farther away down the deserted road and I am left by myself. Everything is quiet as every step I take brings me back to safety. Then, my body vibrates and the branch shakes. I barely have time to process what is going on before Austin appears again.

"Ally, I called Dez. He should be here- Ally! Behind you!" Austin suddenly changes the topic and his eyes widen to an alarming size. He quickly raises his hand and points to something behind me. I waste no time before I whirl around and then I gasp.

Austin's POV

I grin as I put my cellphone back into my pocket. I had finally gotten a signal and I called Dez. He was just in the middle of watching a… Zalien marathon? Anyway, as soon as I explained to him what our situation was, I gave Dez the directions and he claimed that he was on his way. After he hung up, the smile had appeared on my face. Dez was actually a great guy. _I wonder how Dez and Ally became friends anyway. _The thought of Ally and suddenly, I was running. I mean, even if she was still mad at me, and honestly, I couldn't blame her, I can't stop caring. So, I run back to the opening where Ally is and I see that she is only a couple feet to the end of the branch, and back to the safety of the road. I instantly feel relieved.

"Ally, I called Dez. He should be here-," I start and then, something catches my eye and I abruptly stop talking.

"Ally! Behind you!" I suddenly shout to her, while pointing at the object. Directly, behind Ally was Delilah but the car was only one factor that was causing me to worry. The other was that she was sinking… fast. The quicksand had now captured her up to her roof. And I knew exactly what that meant. When the car completely sunk, it would create a massive air bubble that would cause the wet quicksand to ripple. And the large movement on the surface would cause the branch to…

Ally, seemed to realize this too for she sped up her pace. But, I could tell that she was having some trouble. The branch was now shaking because each time the car sunk lower, it pushed out a wave of sand that hit the branch. Ally's face was knit in concentration while she tried to focus on her footing and her speed. I couldn't take it, just standing here waiting. I ran up to her, and that was my first mistake.

I made it to the head of the branch and I looked out to Ally. She was trembling as each wave struck her off balance. Luckily, each time, she regained her position and kept on walking. But, it was taking too long. I am about to go and help her but, Ally seemed to understand my expression. She gasped.

"Austin, don't!" Ally shouted. "The branch-!" But, I didn't listen to her. Just seeing Ally so scared was making me do crazy things to protect her. And _crazy_ also meant me acting stubborn and not listening to her. So, despite Ally's protests, I put all my weight onto the branch and this, is my second and largest mistake.

As soon as I am balanced on the branch, a loud roar is heard and I look behind Ally to see the last pink splotch of Delilah before it completely submerges. And just as I feared, the water rumbles and a huge bubble erupts to the surface before it fans out and crashes down in all directions. The branch we are standing on shakes violently and I finally comprehend what Ally meant. Between the waves and both of our weight, this old branch might not be able to handle it. Before I can turn around and jump off, a second noise fills the air and it is one that I was dreading. I look down and immediately see the wood crack and then it splits in half, splinters flying everywhere.

"No!" I scream as I dive down, as if I can grab both pieces and mend them back together. Suddenly, an ear splitting scream is heard and it is the scariest noise I have heard. The voice was filled with horror and pain. I forget about the branch and I look up to see… nothing. _Ally._ I scramble to my feet and scan the area. Everything has become still and silent. Then, an ever so small bubble appears to my left and I know, even without seeing, that it is Ally.

Ally's POV

I fly off the branch when it snaps and then, before I can make a sound, my back hits the quicksand and I sink. _Austin! Austin!_ I think as I look at him. I see his shocked face as he tries to grab my side of the branch. I want to open my mouth and tell him that I am no longer on the branch but my muscles were frozen. That also explained why I couldn't move my arms to reach for something. Well, at least if I wasn't moving, I would stay afloat longer. That thought didn't help me though. Instead, my mind was going into overdrive thinking. More specifically, about Austin.

_I feel my body shake with the branch as I struggle to stay balanced. It was so hard though. It was like walking on a tight rope during a wind storm. I feel my limbs start to go numb and I know that I have been overusing my muscles. _Almost there_ I encourage myself. Suddenly, the branch tilts forward and I look up to see Austin. His expression was grim yet determined. His eyes were focused on the branch and suddenly, as if I could read his thoughts, I knew what he was going to do. I gasped._

_ "Austin, don't!" I shout to him frantically. But, he didn't seem to be listening. So, I tried again. _

_ "The branch- it can't handle all this weight _and_ the current!" I scream, hoping Austin would listen to me. Sadly, I don't think he does and just when he puts all his weight onto his side of the branch, the quicksand bubbles up behind me and then it comes to meet the branch. I cry out in fright and I see Austin's eyes widen. The impact of the sand knocks into the branch and because there was weight on my side and on Austin's, our piece of wood snaps and it sends me toppling into the gunk._

So, here I was now, slowly sinking in quicksand, wanting my last thoughts to be on family, love and my life but instead, I'm thinking of how idiotic Austin was. I mean, I had specifically told him not to go on the branch. But, he completely ignores me at a time like this and look where we ended up because of that.

I hadn't realizes how long I had been trapped in my thoughts but when I was pulled out of it, my chin was already touching the dirty sand. I let my eyes travel to the sky, wanting the clear sky and my tranquility to be my last memory. _Goodbye, _I think, before my head submerges and the quicksand takes me.

_To be continued…_

**So, this is part one. The next chapter will be it. I hope you are all prepared.**

**Till next time. **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14- **She Doesn't Fall: part two**

**Okay, everyone ready? And remember the note at the end please!**

Austin's POV

"Ally, come on..," I mutter to myself in a daze. After I had zoned her in, I had frantically searched for a long stick or any rescue device but sadly, there were no buoys randomly on the ground. So, with my horrible guilt and no sanity left, I decided to go after Ally myself.

So, here I was, in the middle of taking my shirt and shoes off. I was basically a robot right now, doing everything without thinking about it.

I throw my converse onto the side and then without a second thought, I run into the sand. And then I am stuck. _Great, _I think to myself. But, I don't stop. I force my arms and legs to move and I try to push forward. If you thought it was hard, that would be an understatement. I felt like there were bricks tied to my ankles and there number one priority was _down._

Finally, I reach the spot where I had seen the air bubble and I stay still and catch my breath for a moment. Then, I take a deep breath, and dive down. Now, that was completely risky because I was basically drowning myself. My plan was to get Ally and swim back to the land but apparently, quicksand is dangerous for a reason.

When my head is underwater, I continue to hold my breath and I reach my hands out, in hopes of finding Ally. It would have helped if I opened my eyes but between the mud and sand, I didn't even know if I could see anything. And besides, would you really want to open your eyes in dirty mud water?

I continue to search and thankfully, my lungs were strong because I was a singer. _Ally is a singer too_ I think to motivate myself. She could hold her breath too. _But, she had been under longer than me _I think. My chest feels heavier as my oxygen is minimising and I don't know how long I can last.

Suddenly, my hand hits into a warm object and I stop myself from gasping. Familiar tingles run up my arm and I only know one person who can cause me to do that. I reach forward and wrap my hands around Ally, positive that it is her. When I have her with me, then do I realize that I couldn't swim anymore. We were too deep and the sand was too thick. I start to panic and I move my head from side even though my eyes weren't open. _Okay, think Austin_ I command myself. Though, my decreasing air was making it quite difficult. But, I tried focused. _Okay, this is quicksand, but it's a pool of it _I think. _Every pool or lake or anything… has a bottom. _Man, this was crazy but it was worth a shot. I began moving and pushing us farther down. If this didn't work or I was wrong, well-. _Don't think about that_ I scold myself. I tighten my grasp around Ally when the temperature changes. I know we are close. Suddenly, my feet hit something hard and solid. The ground. I don't waste any time after I figure this out before I bend and then, I use the last of my strength to shoot up.

A couple seconds later, we break the surface of the sand and I gasp in all the air I can take in. Then, I quickly swim towards the shore with Ally in my arms. Thank goodness, at the exact moment I pulled us out, Dez arrives in his car and he stops farther away, knowing that this wet road was actually a horrible trap. But, that was the saddening part. Ally and I had fallen right into the trap without knowing it. If we hadn't fought- if I hadn't _started_ the fight- none of this would have happened. Ally wouldn't be mad at me. Ally's car wouldn't have been lost forever and Ally-.

"Austin! What happened to Ally?" Dez exclaims as he runs out of his car to us. He crotches down next to me and I look over at the red head.

"She almost drowned in the quicksand. But, I'll give details later. Right now, we need to get her to the hospital!" I say in all seriousness. Dez immediately agrees and he runs to go start the car. I sigh and feel all the exhaustion of today's events catching up to me. But, I force it away and then go to pick up Ally. I wrap one arm around her shoulders and then snake my other arm around her waist, still feeling electricity run through my veins. I wonder if she ever felt them too. _Of course not_. I think to myself. _She is so mad at you right now._ I knew that was true. If she was to open her eyes right now, she would probably smack me. I sigh again and start walking to Dez's car with Ally held tightly in my arms.

**At the hospital…**

"Thank you so much Austin!" Ally's dad, Lester, said before we hung up. I took in a deep breath, glad that Ally's dad knew what was going on. Honestly, Dez and I were lost. That is, until Dez decided to call Ally's best friend, Trish, and ask for Mr. Dawson's phone number. Unfortunately, he was in a music convention this week and wouldn't be back for a couple days. He was incredibly guilty for not being able to be here but I assured him that Ally was going to be fine. Though, I didn't know if I was lying or not.

I stuff my phone into my pocket, glad that I took it out before I went into the quicksand and walk back to the waiting room.

I push open the doors and am greeted with an angry Latina.

"Austin Moon! I can't believe you would let that happen to Ally!" Trish screams with her fists balled. My eyes widen and I remember she was always sitting at the 'Austin Moon fan club table.' But, her eyes were dark and she looked ready to strangle me.

"How did you know what happened?" I asked, looking to Dez for help. He gives me a panicked face and says, "Sorry buddy. She forced it out of me!" I inwardly groan and decide that Trish was not to be messed with.

"Trish, it was all an accident. I swear I never wanted that to happen," I say, trying to calm things down before Trish punches something. Like, maybe a blond.

Trish decides to let it go and she goes to sit down, still a little grumpy though. Suddenly, a women burst's out of the private door where the patients are staying. She looks around before raising her clipboard and reading off of it.

"Is there a Trish De La Rosa and Dezmond here?" the lady asks, scanning the large room. My eyes widen and I look down to see Trish and Dez briefly look at each other before standing up.

"Yes, that's us," Trish answers, her voice calm and showing no sign of nervousness. But, I couldn't speak for Dez.

"Is this about Ally? Is she okay?!" Dez asks, moving forward and grabbing the nurse's shoulders. I manage a smile at Dez's protective brother state but am also dying to hear her answer.

"Firstly," she says and then gives a pointed look at Dez. He immediately releases his grip and backs up. The women looks pleased and then she clears her throat.

"Miss Dawson has requested a Trish and Dez to go see her since she is now done her tests and ready for visitors. As to if she's okay, she is, as a matter of fact. Luckily, not too much quicksand in her system to cause any major problems. We have already instructed her to drink plenty of water and avoid stressful activities until she is fully well. Some after effects will include a sore throat and heavy chest for a short while but Miss Dawson is aware of that too. She is doing amazingly well for a person just in such a traumatising event. Trish beams with pride and I can't help but think that Ally was pretty incredible. Another reason why everyone at school thinks she is so positive.

"So," the nurse continues. "If you two will follow me, and I'll direct you to Miss Dawson's room." She turns around and is surprised when I jerk my hand out and grab her wrist.

"Wait!" I say, wondering why this whole time, the nurse has not mentioned me. So, that is precisely what I ask.

"Why is my name not on that list? Ally had to have mentioned me. Austin Moon?" I ask, trying to persuade her to let me go too. I mean, this had to be some kind of mistake. I was the one that rescued her. Ally can't just not let me see her. The nurse huffs and shakes out of my grip, muttering something about boys and their personal space issues. Then, she proceeds to check the slip of paper on her clipboard again. After she reads it again, she looks me over and purses her lip.

"Ah, yes. Miss Dawson has requested an Austin Moon," she says, but sounding a little nervous. Then, she continues with the same voice.

"But, at a separate time after these two," she says, gesturing at Trish and Dez. I am a little puzzled as to why I am seeing her separately. _She probably wants to thank you alone, _I think. I nod to myself in agreement and then take a seat on the nearest chair while watching the nurse lead Trish and Dez through the doors.

Ally's POV

I take another sip of water, cringing when the icy liquid slides down my throat, reminding me of the previous event. But, I actually didn't know much of 'the previous event.' All I remembered was me slowly drowning in the quicksand. So, when I woke up in this hospital with a horribly parched throat and no answers, well, it was a little terrifying. But, after my last tests, a friendly woman came in and asked if I thought any visitors would be here. First, I thought of my dad, but knowing he was in a convention out of town right now, I knew that I shouldn't bother him. Besides, the doctors said I was fine. So, I thought of the next closest people to me.

"Here," the nurse says, handing me a pen and a piece of paper on her clipboard. I reach out and accept it and then she leaves to take care of something else. When the door shuts softly behind her, I open the pen and scribble the names down: _Trish De La Rosa, Dezmond._ They were my two best friends, Trish was the one I always went to for comfort and girl time and Dez was just like an older brother to me. I literally had the best friends in the world. Then, I frowned as I thought of another person. Austin. I had a lot to talk to him about. I uncap the pen again but this time I write a small sentence at the bottom of the page. Hopefully, the nurse will see it and make sure Austin follows her orders. _Please have Austin Moon know to come after my other two friends. It's more… personal._ I shake my head at the word, knowing that I needed to replace it with another one and that the nurse might interpret it the wrong way but before I had time to change it, the same women came back in.

"Ah, I see you are done," the women says and then she pulls the clipboard from my hand. But, I don't say anything. One, because I decided it didn't really matter. Let the nurse think what she wanted. I was the one over thinking things. And two, my throat was still very sore from holding my breath for that long. She leaves my room again and I lay back and think about what to say to my friends, and more importantly, what I was going to say to Austin.

**Later… **

"Okay, we're going to leave now. Hope you feel better, Ally!" Trish says before she hugs me. I laugh, despite the burn in my throat and then I get crushed as Dez comes and we form a group hug.

For the past hour, I was listening to them explain what had happened between the time Dez came until now. Sadly, I didn't get all the answers I wanted because Trish had not been there and Dez had only seen what went on after he arrived to pick us up. Apparently, according to Dez, when he came, he saw Austin hovering over me and us on the road, dripping wet. So, from that, I could only assume that Austin might have rescued me but, I had other plans right now and whether he had saved me or not, I wasn't going to let that interfere with them.

"Thanks guys!" I say to them after we release each other and then they wave one more time before they head out. And then, as soon as the door closes, I am left in silence. But, before I have time to catch my breath and think of my plan, the door bursts open again and then a familiar blond shows up.

"Ally," he breaths, looking me over. I gulp and sit straighter in my bed.

"Hey Austin," I say, before I start my practised speech.

"So, I know that you had rescued me and for that, I am very thankful," I start, watching his lips turn up into a smile. And this is the part that I regret. I mean, I don't regret what I am saying but I wish more than anything that I could've spoken my next line differently.

"But, you need to stop," I say, my voice commanding. Austin looks surprised and then he gets defensive.

"You want me to stop saving you?" he asks, incredulous and I roll my eyes.

"No, Austin," I say, my voice dropping lower, knowing I was making the right choice. Ever since Austin came here, I have been acting differently. I have been acting bolder and rude. I mean, everyone knew me as a perfect student and role model but ever since Austin came- or maybe ever since Austin became famous, he has been slowing changing me. I grew tired of all the gossip and squealing so I finally started snapping. I learned how to tune people out and I can't get rid of the skill. The point is, Austin, whether physically doing it or the things his fame causes, is turning me into someone I don't want to be. And, me helping him was the final straw. I had almost drowned, for crying out loud! Yes, I will always be incredibly grateful that he had saved me but Austin was also the cause of all of all this and I wouldn`t let anything like this happen ever again.

"No, Austin," I repeat.

"I want you to stop _this_," I say, moving my hand to gesture to the two of us.

"I need you to stop flirting with me, stop following me, and stop talking to me. Because of you, I had finally been late to class. My perfect record- gone, because you were bothering me by my locker. I had snapped at my dad for the first time, taking my anger out on him when you were the cause of it. I have been too bold and naughty and Austin, I almost _died_ today, wanting to help you!" I finish my rant and take in a deep breath. I stare at Austin in the eyes and he suddenly laughs.

"Ally. You've got to be kidding me?" Austin says his voice hard. He steps closer and continues talking.

"Bold? Naughty? Ally, you can't always be perfect! I'm helping you chill out and actually be normal!" I gasp. Did he not understand that I didn't want those characteristics? I love being the all- around good girl and he just says that I am not normal being who I am?" I lean forward.

"See, this is what I mean, Austin," I say, my voice rising higher.

"You don't know me! You can't just go around thinking that I need help being normal!" I hiss, my eyes narrowing at him.

"Well, what about you?" he challenges, pointing a finger at me.

"I can handle the paparazzi by myself without you help! You don't even know my history with them! You don't even know anything about me!" he exclaims. My eyes widen at his insanity. The last time at the beach when the paparazzi were hunting him, he was _asleep_! He was sleeping through it before I woke him. I was just trying to help and he thinks that all I was doing was invading in his personal problems?

"You're right Austin," I spit out.

"I don't know anything about you, and I wouldn't want to! You are a horrible jerk and I knew it all along!" I say. The words seem distant and I know that I have wanted to say them for a long time. But, a part of me always thought he would prove me wrong yet it never happened.

"A jerk? You are just saying that because you are a stubborn brat!" Austin throws out. I gasp and he continues.

"You think you are so perfect and you get such a big head knowing that I chase you because you don't like me. Well, it doesn't work. I thought that at the beginning but now, I know that you are only doing that to get attention." I draw back at his words and cannot wrap my head around how much lies were in them. I do not want attention. I do not think highly of myself because Austin chases after me. I feel weak, knowing he thinks of me as a toy to entertain him. And frankly, the only thing he said in that rant that was true was that I don't like him.

"Austin, I need you to leave. Right now," I say, my voice low and seething with anger. Austin laughs and doesn't move.

"Austin, I have had enough of you. Get out!" I shout, causing my throat to ache. I ignore it and focus on controlling my breathing, which was now ragged.

"Fine, but just so you know, no one will ever give you that much attention again. So I hope you enjoyed it. Bye Allison," he smirks and then strides out the door. _Well, so much for that plan_ I think sarcastically. But, the damage was done. Austin was now out of my life and I could go back to focusing on my grades and finishing high school. But, a strange feeling was growing in my stomach and I couldn't control it. Suddenly, my eyes water and I burst into tears.

I stay on the bed and bawl my eyes out, wrapped in my sheets and the whole time, I don't know why am crying. I am focused on the pain in my chest that I make myself believe is an after effect of the quicksand accident. Nothing else.

**Why is Austin acting like this? What will happen after? Well, you will know in the next chapters.**

**And, here is 'the fall.' Meaning, that I will leave you with these 14 chapters and everything after this is downhill. But, you always have to get back up and this story will… soon.**

**I hope you enjoy this story so far and feel free to ask questions and tell me what you think. Anything you want.**

**Till next time, whenever that might be ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15- **She Doesn't Fall**

**I'm back and ready to show you all a new chapter! I hope you enjoy and also bare with me as I take this story through its twists and turns. **

**Okay, let's start!**

Austin's POV

I turn. _"Fine, but just so you know, no one will ever give you that much attention again. So I hope you enjoyed it." I felt a smirk form on my lips._ I shift some more and continue. _"Bye Allyson," I said, and with a final look at the sad and angry brunette in front of me, I walked out the door._

Beep. Beep. Beep! I jump in surprise and tumble off my bed. I groan when I land on the hard ground and the action knocks the wind out of me. Then, I run my fingers through my tangled hair and I sigh. It had been a couple days since Ally and I fought. After that, I had stayed in my house, and was bored out of my mind. But, I know that Ally had gotten out of the hospital about a day later. Dez told me this and I was beyond grateful he wasn't avoiding me. Anyway, lately, the same dreams have been taking over my brain, causing me to wake up disoriented and upset. But, I only had myself to blame. I was so damn stupid. That day when Ally was confronting me on all the things I had caused her, I knew she was right. But, because of my ego, it caused me to get defensive and I would always regret it. I had said such horrible and untruthful things and I can't take any of them back. Then, when I thought it couldn't get worst, I had just blurted out that no one would give her the time of day and I knew it really hurt. And not just for her. Watching her as the pain flashed through her eyes was the worst sight and I had no idea why I had said that. Ally was so talented and amazing; I knew she could get any guy. But, the sentence had just come out of my mouth anyway. Yep, Ally would _totally _believe that if I had used it in an apology. And to add to the fun, now Trish actually had a reason to kill me.

With that thought still fresh in mind, I got up and turned off my alarm clock, surprised that I could do so much negative thinking this early in the morning with the alarm clock blaring through the air. I shake my head after I press the button and then another thought invades my mind: _school starts again today. _I groan and trudge to my bathroom, dreading the day back because I know that Ally is going to be there and I'm going to be tortured with the hateful look in her eyes. _Great start to the day, Austin! _I think and then I hop into the shower I had already turned on, not really minding the luke- warm water. I needed to cool down.

**Later…**

My clammy hand is met with the cold metal doorknob and then I shakily pull the door open. _Austin! Stop! You are losing your cool. _I frown and then the truth of that sentence hits me. _I _am_ losing my cool _I realize. I had come to Miami with everyone adoring me and no care in the world and suddenly, I find myself afraid to walk into school, for the fear of seeing Ally. I groan and step in, shivering when the air conditioned hall meets my already cold skin.

Suddenly, dozens of girls slam into me and their perfume surrounds me in seconds. I open my mouth in surprise even though this happens every school day. Strangely though, I no longer feel excitement. I was just really tired and upset. I blink and luckily, before I have time to make any other girls mad at me, the warning bell rings and the crowd disperses. I sigh, knowing that I have been doing that a lot lately and walk to my locker. I quickly turn the dial and grab my books, not wanting to be late for class. _Yep, I'm losing it_ I think drily. I mean, my grades are good, not spotless but me wanting to make it to class on time was something new. Besides, usually, the first period teachers are always a tad late, rushing to get to their class after waiting in the long line for coffee in the staff room.

I finish off the thought and arrive to my first class. Music. I step into the class room and sit on the nearest chair I could find. It was also in the back, which I was relieved of because I didn't necessarily want Brooke to see me and have a repeat of the last music class before the break. Then, Mrs. Suzy gets up from her desk and stands in front of the class.

"Okay," she starts. "For the next 2 weeks, you and a partner will be working together to create a song. This will count for 40% of your final mark and will be presented to the class at the end of the due date." Mrs. Suzy stops to let her words sink in and suddenly, the room bursts into shouts and I see fingers pointing, friends exchanging looks to their soon to be partner and like expected, I also hear my name. But, I don't know if I want to be fought over like I usually don't mind. Mrs. Suzy then raises her hand.

"Settle down, class! You will not be allowed to pick your own partners." Mrs. Suzy states. The whole class groans and after they get over it, they all lean forward, eager to know who their partners will be.

"Instead, for the next 2 weeks, you will be paired with the person who is sitting to the right of you. Now, get with your partner and get started!" She finishes and walks back to her seat to do some paperwork. Everyone starts moving and when they get with their partners, the room erupts into chattering again.

I comb my fingers through my hair and turn my body to the right. I hear a slight gasp and I frown. Not to be offensive but it would be a little difficult to write a song with someone who was obsessed with me.

"Okay, I guess I'm your partner. My name's Austin," I say as I grab my pencil from my backpack. I felt kind of weird introducing myself after all these months but, I had to make a good impression on my partner. _There I go again. What's going on with me?_ I shake my head and look up. My eyes meet familiar brown ones and I lean back, shocked.

"Oh, I _definitely _know that," Ally says as she crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me.

** Ta- da! Chapter- done! What do you all think? I could've continued but, I thought a thousand and so words were good enough. But, if you want, tell me if you want a longer chapter and I'll try my best.**

** Please, please review. Most of them are always so nice and make me so happy! **

** Thanks for staying with this story and I'll update soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Ahhhh! I am so sorry for not updating. It has been ten days, my longest ever. School's hectic right now but if you like this chapter, I promise to update soon.**

**Standard disclaimer, although I would love to own Austin and Ally.**

**Enjoy!**

Ally's POV

"Mrs. Suzy, can't you make an exception only this one time?" I begged to her. There was absolutely no way I was going to have _him_ as my partner. I looked over my shoulder and saw him sitting at the edge of his seat, waiting for me to come back. I turned my attention back to the teacher.

"I'm sorry Miss. Dawson, but if I let you change partners then everyone else would want too," she says and I mentally groan. "And besides, why would you want to change partners?" Mrs. Suzy asks me. I nod my head absentmindedly and think of another way to persuade her. Suddenly, my answer walks up beside me and I listen to her cheery voice.

"Mrs. Suzy, if Ally doesn't want to be partners with Austin, I could switch with her," Brooke suggests, trying to contain her excitement. I smile and agree with Brooke for the first time while we both watch Mrs. Suzy purse her lips.

"I'm sorry girls, but there are no exceptions. Now, get back to your_ own_-," she makes sure that word is emphasized, "partners and get started. You have already spent too much time up here." Then, she ends the discussion by lowering her head and continuing with her work before we interrupted her.

I sigh in defeat and slowly make my way back to where he was waiting. He stands up and I refuse to look him in the eye, afraid that I was going to blow up in the class.

"So, I'm guessing we're still partners?" he asks, his voice tinted with nervousness. I look up and nod, not wanting to drag the topic any longer.

"Okay, um, do you want to start working on the song?" he scratches the back of his neck nervously and I sigh at his discomfort. I may not want anything to do with him anymore but I was still Ally. This project was important and I can't be childish. He- I mean, _Austin_ was obviously uncomfortable and that would create the worst partnership, causing us to get nothing done.

I huff out a breath and look at the clock hanging on the wall.

"We can't," I say, looking Austin in the eyes. He frowns at me and I point to the clock.

"The period's almost over. But, we need to catch up with everyone else so we should work on this after school," I say, hoping he agrees. Austin nods after he looks away from the clock.

"Okay, what about at my place?" he suggests. I gulp and bite my lower lip.

"How about back here after school?" I say, not really wanting to be at his house. I mean, after I got back from the hospital, I made sure my walls were back up and stronger than before. I am not taking any more chances. Austin smiles, and something flashes across his face. It looked almost like… disappointment?

"Sure, okay then," he says and then, the loud piercing sound of the bell is heard and everyone starts gathering their stuff and talking to their friends, making it too hard to discuss the plan anymore. I finish packing up and I quickly head to the door. Then, I walk out with everyone else but not before I hear him sigh loudly. I smile and shake my head before changing my direction and heading to my next class.

**Time skip to lunch…**

"He's your _partner?_" Trish outbursts as soon as she sits down. I nod my head and proceed to open my sandwich container. It was now lunch and the first day back was more than halfway done.

"I can't believe Mrs. Suzy didn't let you switch!" she continues. I had just told Trish about how Austin was my partner for this project and before I could add another word, she began her rant. Don't get me wrong, she was so sweet and understanding. The day after I had gotten back from the hospital, I had called Trish and explained what happened between Austin and I. She- being Trish, immediately got defensive and threatened to kill him but after a while, she calmed down and now, Marino High had a total of _two_ girls that had no interest in Austin Moon.

"I know," I agreed with her.

"But, she had her reasons," I say, wanting to drop the subject. I was already Austin's partner and that couldn't be changed so might as well stop talking about it. Trish huffs and we both start talking about what we did over the break. Well, mostly Trish's break. I was at home most of the time after I could leave the hospital. The doctors suggested I rest before I came back to school.

Trish was halfway through describing her boss at her new job and complaining about how hard it was when suddenly, the cafeteria breaks out into screams and all the attention from the girls are directed to the doors. I blink and continue with my lunch, already knowing what was going on. The same thing happens every day. But, Trish was still new to this so I watch her as she looks around in confusion, searching for whatever everyone was looking at.

Then, that 'whatever' walks closer into view and Trish sees that it is Austin. She gives a quiet "oh" and then sits back comfortably into her seat. But, a second later, Trish scoots to the edge of her seat and her gaze is to something behind me.

"Doesn't he look kind of sad?" she questions to no one. I continue enjoying my lunch until Trish snaps her fingers in my face. I look up and she tilts her head in a way that shows me to turn around. So I do, and the only thing I can see are students and tables. Then, I focus and I can make out Austin surrounded by his usual crowd. But, I could also see that he looked different. Like this morning in class. Austin's head was tilted slightly down and he wasn't smiling. He only talked when someone asked him a question. Otherwise, he was just sitting quietly, picking at his lunch.

I turn back to Trish and can feel a frown on my face. Austin never acts like that. _I wonder what's wrong._ I think. I mean, it's strange that he would be acting like this. He was usually soaking up all the attention and smiling so much that people found it contagious. I guess I could ask him after school, but I wouldn't want to push, like he thinks I do.

"Ya, he does," I reply coldly, my thoughts now on how he thought I was invading his privacy. I feel myself warm up as I get worked up, remembering how angry I felt at that time. Worst of all, I didn't know if I would ever stop thinking back to that time. It was just too emotional, that it was stuck in my brain. Suddenly, the bell rings and it snaps me out of my thoughts. All the students start filling out the doors and before I can get a chance to think about anything else, Trish's voice invades my mind.

"Hey Ally, since we both have a free period, do you want to hang out? She asks. I look up and see Trish already turning around, so I know that I'm going. Besides, what would I do anyway? So, I quickly stand up and walk to where my best friend was waiting and then, we both walk out the door.

**Time skip to the end of the day…**

Briiiing! I hear the bell and I sigh. I stand up, grab my stuff and walk out the door. I smile, glad that the day was finally over. I mean, I am one of those people who love school, but there are times where it can seem tiring. Like today. And, it was Trish's fault. During free period, she had made me go look at dresses for our prom. I had looked at her incredulous, saying that our senior prom wasn't for a couple months. But, Trish wasn't one to take no for an answer. So, we had spent our time at the mall, walking around and browsing for dresses and accessories. But, by the time we had to leave to make it back to school on time, we hadn't found anything. Or, more accurately, I hadn't found anything. Trish was carrying about a dozen bags of items, some not even related to prom and I was holding a couple too- for her. I laugh at the memory and make my way to my locker.

I pull my locker door open and then Trish appears. She smiles at me.

"Hey Ally, do you wanna hang out at my place tonight. We have to finish that manatee poster for the football game next week that Dez asked us to make," she reminds me and I inwardly groan. Not because I don't want to help Dez but suddenly, I remembered another thing I was committed to. Austin and my music project.

"Sorry Trish, I can't today." I apologize. She looks at me to explain and I hesitate. Austin was now on Trish's bad side so what would happen if she found out I was meeting with him, _alone_? Well, she could accept it and we could schedule to meet another day, but knowing Trish, she was probably going to storm into the music room and threaten Austin into making sure nothing happens. But, I couldn't take that chance.

"I have to work on a project for music class," I explain. _Not a complete lie._ I smile at her and when Trish realizes that I am telling the truth, she smiles too.

"Okay then, we'll just work on it tomorrow. Have fun Ally!" she says before she walks off in the opposite direction to her locker.

When Trish's footsteps are no longer heard, I then realize that the hall was deserted and quiet. It was only me and my thoughts. _Austin, alone…_ I think repeatedly as I grab my back pack. _What if we get locked in? What if Austin doesn't show? What if he causes a piano to fall on me?_ I shake my head, aware that I am very paranoid. But, I have every reason to be. Bad things happen when I am with him. And if I haven't stressed enough on the topic, I don't want anything drastic to happen again. _But, my grade is on the line, _I think to myself. This thought slightly motivates me and I sling my back pack over my shoulder.

_Guess I'll just find out what will happen,_ I think before I slam my locker shut and walk off to the music room.

** Please take some time to review! You guys are amazing at them and it makes me so happy when I read them! And again, so sorry for taking so long to update. I mean, it might not seem that long if you are reading other stories but I apologize to those who really like my story and had to wait. **

** Until next time (which will hopefully be soon)!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 17- **She Doesn't Fall**

Austin's POV

I trace my fingers along the smooth keys, swiftly playing a couple of notes before dropping my hands into my lap. I suddenly look over to the door- something I have been doing every couple of seconds. Call me paranoid, but I was. I was dreading the moment when Ally would walk through the door. I didn't want anything to happen but I really couldn't see us getting anything done if everything was awkward.

I sigh and start to fidget with my fingers. I had to do something. I couldn't have Ally not talking to me, unless she was forced to. I hated how we no longer talked and exchanged glances in the hallway. Or, maybe it was just me? Maybe the whole time while I was flirting with her, she was just annoyed. Maybe she completely hated it and everything that I remembered was just some images I had created in my head. I slumped down on the bench. That would've made more sense. I already learned that Ally did not like me so she obviously had not enjoyed what I was doing.

_You can always start over_ I suggested to myself. But, that sounded crazy even without saying it out loud. I had already ruined it. I had made the worst first impression with her and I had proved to her that I was the jerk that she thought I was.

_But, you've changed_ I think and I know that this is true. I had been a selfish, self- absorbed jerk . I was someone who wanted everything my way and I didn't bother to think about anyone else. Like, I didn't care that my other classmates were upset when I held the attention of the rest of the class. I also didn't bother to notice all the disappointed and jealous faces of all the guys, even my friends, when all the girls were swooning over me. It was like I was a soulless robot. But, something had happened. And that was Ally. Ever since our big talk, I have been thinking, mostly about the fact that she was right. She had blamed me for doing all these horrible things, and she was not far off on any of them. This made me realize that I was… bad, and I guess, I don't want to be that type of person.

Suddenly, it seemed like forever that I was wrapped in my thoughts until I heard someone clear their throat. I whipped my head to the side, surprised, and saw the person walking through the door.

"Hey, Austin," Ally said, trying to sound casual. She dropped her bag onto a chair and proceeded to grab some pens and a notebook from her bag. And I, though am not proud of it, was sitting there, frozen, waiting for her next words.

_Calm down, Moon_ I scold myself. I look up and see Ally slide onto the bench and then, she immediately gets working.

"What type of song should we do?" she questions, while uncapping her pen. This makes me wonder if she is talking to me or not. Then, Ally looks up at me expectantly and I lean back, realizing that the question _was_ directed at me, and I had not thought about the answer.

"Um," I mumble a little ashamed.

"I don't know," I say, turning my body to face hers on the bench. I tense up, ready for Ally to explode up in front of me but, I think I have been way too dramatic these couple of days. Because, all she does is think for a while before she innocently suggests her idea.

"Let's do a love song. That should be easy to write." She smiles and agrees with her idea while looking at me for my opinion. I nod to myself, deciding that a love song wasn't that complicated. But, there was one tiny problem. One that I had never told anyone and really, _really_ didn't want to.

"Okay then, it's settled," Ally says, taking my nod for the confirmation. She reaches forward and grabs her notebook, before flicking her hand to the side and tossing me it. I fumble with the book and when I have a grip on it, I immediately set it down when I realize why she gave it to me. My thought is confirmed once she says it.

"I'll work on the melody while you come up with the lyrics," she says, her voice commanding. She then begins to play some notes and already they sound amazing. Meanwhile, I was sitting motionless, not wanting to do what I feared next.

I take in a slow breath and press a key, the loud sound off with the rest of the music Ally was creating. She turns and looks at me, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. I sigh, knowing there was no way out.

"Ally, I… um…," I stutter, looking down to my hands. This was so embarrassing. But, I assumed that out of all people, Ally would've known this. So, there was nothing to be afraid of. But, after all these years of avoiding this topic with the press and my fans, I couldn't be blamed for being a little hesitant.

"I don't know how to write songs. I have a personal song writer," I blurt out, still looking down. I was expecting Ally to start laughing and say that she knew it all along but, there was silence after I finished my sentence. I curiously look up to see Ally staring at my intently. We lock gazes and I can tell that she is thinking.

"Okay," Ally sighs, leaning back, still looking at me. I feel myself tense up, wondering what she is going to say next.

"I'm going to teach you," she states, calmly and determined. But, for me, I almost fell off the bench in surprise.

"Why? Why would you waste your time to teach me?" I ask, shocked that she would be helping me. I had thought that this was a strict working partnership and as soon as we finished it, Ally would let me be the furthest thing on her mind. And, helping me would take forever and I honestly didn't think she would care so much. But, in these months that I have known Ally, I knew that she was a sweet, caring and a genuinely good person. Well, until I came along.

I shook away the sad thought and look up to see her studying my facial expression, which I knew was confused and shocked. Ally takes in a deep breath.

"Because," she starts, flicking her gaze around, trying to word her sentence.

"I know what it feels like to create music. It is an amazing rush when you create the perfect piece and… I guess I want to share that," she says, breathless from speaking in one breath. Then, in a different tone that sounded more joking, sounded more like her-.

"Even if it is with you." I sit there after she officially finishes, taking everything in. Ally was actually going to teach me how to write songs. Something I could never do. Even if she disliked me, or didn't want to be around me, she was willing to help me, and I was completely awed by that.

"Thank you, Ally," I say sincerely. And I was. No one has ever dedicated so much time with me and I couldn't wait to get started.

I just hope I don't mess anything up.

** Who went to see the movie **Divergent** or is planning to? I saw it a couple weeks back and it was sososo good! Just makes me love the series even more!**

** Anyway, please review! Tell me what you think because I felt like this was a blah chapter. **

** Stay Rossome!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Blah, blah, blah- the standard disclaimer of how I do not own Austin and Ally or anything else you might recognize- yada, yada, ya…**

**Okay, onto the story, enjoy!**

Austin's POV

"Um…," I mummer as I play a string of notes on my guitar. I look up and see Ally starting at me eagerly, hoping that I will magically create some amazing lyrics to this song we made together.

It had been a week since Ally decided to help me learn how to write songs and already, we have the instrumental part finished. Ally obviously came up with most of it but I had helped with the chorus. After that, she had also come up with all the verses so that left me again, with the chorus.

I search through my brain, thinking back to all those hopeless attempts of trying to write a song with the Starr Record professional song writers. Those long sessions had only ended up with billions of crumpled papers and eventually, the song had been completed with absolutely no input from me, except for the song title. But, there was something different when I was writing with Ally. She was patient and open to all my suggestions. Lightly changing a word when she didn't like something instead of criticizing me or praising me when I came up with something. I had honestly forgotten how much fun music was before I had started creating it with Ally.

But, even after this week of meeting every day to work with her, I could still see her shy away when she realized she was getting too comfortable. It was maybe, just a little disappointing, if I could be honest. She would start to lean back after she laughed at something I said, as if she had to remind herself to stop, and those times where she would actually joke _back,_ her eyes would widen and it looked like she was mentally scolding herself.

And I just wish she would stop. I wanted to see Ally. Not this girl. I wanted to see the Ally who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and do anything she wanted. The Ally who was brave and out-going. But, I wouldn't because I had ruined it. I had pushed her too far, dragging her into my life and now, because of me, her walls are up and I'm afraid that I will never see that side of her again.

With these thoughts floating through my mind and my uneasy emotions of sadness and heavy concentration rolling through me, I suddenly sing.

_Call me criminal, I won't deny it._

_You make me want it all, _

_Everything you are._

_So lock it up, go on and try it,_

_No matter what you do_

_I'm gonna steal your heart…_

I look up from my fingers on the guitar to see Ally staring at me wide eyed. But, this time, her eyes are shining with surprise and pride. I fight a smile as new words suddenly form in my head.

_I confess,_

_I kind of like it that you're innocent,_

_Keeping up your guard_

_I'll break it down,_

_So you can't hide it,_

_No matter what you do_

_I'm gonna steal your heart._

I finish the line and suddenly stop, as what just happened processes in my mind. _I just wrote a song _I think. A slight gasp comes from in front of me and I look up to lock my gaze with Ally's. She is looking positively awed, her eyes beyond wide and her lips parted. I smile and duck my head, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Austin! That was amazing!" she exclaims, causing my cheeks to heat. I keep my head down until I feel my face cool down and then I sneak a glance up at the brunette. She is still looking at me, astonished, and I can't help but feel immensely proud of myself. But, I have absolutely no idea where those lyrics came from. I was just thinking of Ally and-.

_She inspired them _a voice inside my head said. I jumped a little, startled. Then, I am hit with another surprising sentence. _Those lyrics are about her_ the voice says, before it starts to fade.

I am left disoriented at the words in my head and what they meant. Sure, I probably couldn't have come up with those lyrics without Ally's encouraging help but, are the lyrics really about her?

'No matter what you do, I'm gonna steal your heart.' Are these lyrics about Ally? No, they can't be. Ally and I are just… well; I'm hoping we're friends. She acts friendly towards me, but then again, she acts friendly to everyone. And, why would _I_ have come up with those about her. Just because Ally was talented, smart, beautiful… _Moon, what are you saying?!_ I think, alarmed. My eyes widen slightly as I think of what I had just thought. I mean, of course Ally is all of those things but, why would I have thought them all of a sudden? Unless…

"Austin! I'm so proud!" Ally exclaims, still reeling over the fact that I had written lyrics. I snap out of my thoughts and focus on her smiling face.

"Yeah, I am too," I say, not wanting to make a big deal out of this. Besides, this might've been a onetime thing. For all I know, I could never be able to think of another lyric every again. Surprisingly, it seems like Ally can read my mind, because she suddenly reassures me.

"Austin, you can do this. You can write songs!" she says, her eyes shining, and I realize why she is so lovable. Her personality and the way she likes to help others. Well, the only time I can remember when she was acting rudely was with me- and although I can tell that Ally is perfectly comfortable with herself right now, and I like how she is so innocent, I don't feel guilty for wanting to see the darker side of her, the one that flirts with me and gives her a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Well, I guess this is it for today," Ally states, slicing through the silence we created with me thinking and her waiting for me. I look up and towards the clock in the music room, seeing that it was already evening. A part of me was relieved that I could stop wracking my brain for inspiration and working on our song, but an extremely larger part of me was disappointed that I wouldn't see Ally until next week, after the weekend.

_Man, you're in deep _I think to myself absentmindedly. Then, the words knock into me and I take in a sharp breath. Could I have feelings toward Ally? Already, I feel myself wanting to laugh at the outrageousness of it. I couldn't like her. Everything I did was merely for entertainment, so I could watch her blush and give me her cute annoyed face. Yes, I said cute, but that doesn't mean anything. Besides, I couldn't like Ally when she still treads on the line of friendship and enemy. And yet, I have given this so much thought already, something I rarely do. So, does this mean…-?

"See you next week, Austin!" Ally's breezy voice says, interrupting my thinking. I quickly whip my head to the door way to see Ally give me a smile and before I can respond, Ally turns around and walks out the door.

**So, Austin finally writes his own song and what not. I apologize if this chapter put you to sleep. I feel like it was just a filler, something to keep the story going. But, please review and I promise the next chapter will be added as soon as possible. **

**Thanks guys!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 19- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Hi guys! I hope this chapter makes up for the last one because I honestly felt like it was not very good. Sorry about that, but hopefully, you guys will like this one.**

Ally's POV

_Austin and I were so close, staring into each other's eyes and I could feel his breathe tickling my cheek. I had no idea how long we have been in that position but suddenly, all natural light from the sky faded and was replaced by yellow fluorescent bulbs that lined the pier. And finally, without warning, we changed positions. Austin caressed my cheek before moving both his hands to my waist and I wrapped my hands around his neck. Our breathing became heavier and we started to close the remaining distance…_

I startled myself awake, groggy and disoriented. I look around and my eyes land on my alarm clock. '5:30 AM,' the red blinking lights flash to me. I groan, the time only reminding me why I woke in the first place. I had just dreamed about me and Austin at the beach, but something was going on. Apparently, I was exploding with butterflies and couldn't keep my hands off him. But, the part that worried me was a slight sense of familiarity, as if I had had this dream before…

Impossible though. Why would I dream about… _that_? Austin and I were barely friends. But, the tingles running through my body suggested something other than 'barely friends.' I shake my head and get out of my bed, knowing that it was Monday and I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, knowing of the vivid images that were going to appear behind my lids. So, I try to push my unwanted thoughts to the back of my mind, and I walk to my bathroom.

Austin's POV

I slowly peel my eyes open and scan my bright room. Everything looked to be in order. My acoustic guitar was resting against the far back wall, all my clothes were neatly thrown on the floor and my couple dozen of photos of me were taped to the walls. I blink, looking back to the photos. Suddenly, I lung off my bed and stride to the nearest wall. I raise my hands and proceed to peel every picture off.

I finish and look at the bare wall. Then, I do a double take at what I had just done. It was as if I wasn't in control of my body. I was just thinking about how awful all those pictures were to seem to any guest. It would've made me look very self- centered, having so many pictures. Ally would agree. _Ally!_

"Ugh," I groan as I plop back onto my bed. Now I remember. I had spent the whole night tossing and turning, thinking of the brightest smile and large brown eyes. Then, I wake up and the first thing I do is take off the pictures because they remind me of why Ally despised me in the first place. And she still does, I think. Well, maybe a little. Just because I rip pictures of me off my walls doesn't mean that anything has changed. I'm probably just a person who she feels pity for and wants to help. But, even as I think this, I can't help but feel… hope that Ally might think of me differently now that she knows me.

I jump as my alarm clock goes off, making me realize that I woke too early. I lean sideways to turn it off and when the blaring stops, everything goes silent, letting me focus on my thoughts again. _Ally. _I look down to the floor where all the photos lay scattered. I get off my bed and quickly pick them all up. Then, I stare at the pile- for a very long time. Finally, I give a slight nod and bring the pictures to my night stand. I slide open the drawer and stuff the pictures in, hoping that I won't have any reason to see them again.

When I am satisfied, I take a deep breath and turn away. Then, the fact that my alarm clock rang settles into my mind. _There is school today!_ I shout to myself. I quickly run to get ready, not wanting to be late, and not knowing why I am thinking this way.

Ally's POV

I hear sighs erupt from the entire class when the bell rings. Obviously, I love school, but even I have to admit that today's lesson _was_ a little boring. Which, if you know me, is very strange. I usually love every class and all the knowledge that absorbs into my mind. _Then why are you in such a hurry to leave?_ My mind asks me. I look down to my hands and see that they are already done zipping up my backpack. I frown. I had no idea why I was acting like this. I take in a deep breath to calm myself done. I could not spend the whole day acting like this. So, I put a genuine smile on my face and as I walk by the teacher to the door I say, "Have a wonderful day." Then, I am out of the room.

I walk down the hall, struggling to maintain my posture, which seems quite difficult for some reason, as if my bag was filled with bricks. So, of course I don't see the figure standing in front of me until my face hits their back. I give a slight scream as I feel myself fall, bracing myself for the impact, knowing that my backpack with "bricks" won't cushion my fall. But, the floor doesn't come in contact with my body. Someone had wrapped their arms around me and was keeping me upright.

I gasp when goose bumps suddenly appear on my arms, where the person was touching. But, before I can come up with an explanation, like the temperature suddenly dropped, I am lifted back to my feet. My saviour probably thinks I'm hurt because of my gasp. I lift my eyes to look at who I had labelled 'my saviour' and nearly jump out of my skin when Austin's worried eyes meet mine.

"Ally! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" he says in one breath. I study him. He seems genuinely concerned whereas my expression was probably harder to read. I was feeling mixed emotions, but mostly confusion. I had set up my image of Austin as a jerk and ego maniac but then, I see that he really has a passion for music and that gave us something to talk about and now, his eyes are widened and he is looking at me as if he is ready to charge me to the nurse's office the second I feel faint. _But, he did cause this in the first place._ I think about this and technically it is true, and this is the very reason I had wanted to stay away from him in the first place, but, at this moment, I am overruled by the fact that he had saved me this time, instead of the opposite. But then again-.

"Ally! Please answer me! Are you okay?" Austin asks, breaking me away from my thoughts. I lift my eyes to look at him and his expression looks like I-am-ready-to-throw-her-over-my-shoulder-and-carry-her-to-the-nurse. But, I couldn't blame him. I could already tell that my face was flushed and tired looking, from my mind battle and this day's events.

"Yeah, I'm fine Austin," I say. "Thanks." Then, I turn to walk away before I collapse because honestly, I actually felt like I was going to. Those days that I stayed up and practically ignored my sleep schedule to work on the song with Austin are catching back up to me… fast. But, before I've taken a step, Austin's hand wraps around mine and he twirls me back around to face him.

"Where are you going? I'm pretty sure Maths is that way," Austin says as he points in the opposite direction I'm walking in. My eyes widen a fraction as my brain processes that there is one more period before school ends. I stop myself from sighing out loud. Austin stands there silently and watches me as I struggle to remain alert. My eyes lashes tangle together in the world's longest blink and when I open my eyes again, Austin has a frown on his face. He sighs, clearly seeing my situation and he grabs my hand again, pulling me towards our math class.

Austin and I burst into the class room, in no danger to being late. Actually, the class was half filled. Which was good because if the more gossip-y girls in this class were here, no doubt rumours would be spreading about why Austin was holding my hand.

He pulls me to the very back of the room and when I see an empty desk, I drop down immediately. Austin sits in the seat in front of mine and seconds before the bell rings, he turns around and whispers in my ear, "Don't worry. I'll take notes for you. Just take a nap." This almost jerks me back to alertness. I couldn't miss a class, even if my lids were already closing… I sigh as his soothing voice lulls me to sleep and while I'm close to falling unconscious, I almost miss the tingles that spread on my cheek, where his breath came in contact with my skin. _Probably just… temperature or… something _I think drowsily, not aware enough to think properly. Then, as the bell rings, I fall asleep at school.

Austin's POV

I turn back to face the front when I see Ally has fallen asleep. I smile slightly, remembering the relief in her expression when she was free to nap. Obviously though, being Ally, I could see that she was debating her decision but eventually, gave into her tiredness.

Then, the teacher walks into class and the first thing she says strikes my nerves.

"Okay, class," she says, not bothering to look up. "Do question five and since it is quite difficult, feel free to go to Miss Dawson for help because I will be busy this period." I hear a few snickers from the people who know of Ally's state right now, but after moments of silence and no one is pointing the fact out, I quietly sigh in relief. But, the feeling vanishes as a girl sitting beside me gets up and goes to tap Ally in the shoulder, startling her awake. Immediately, she looks up and I have to say that she handled the situation well.

"Is there something wrong?" Ally asks, her voice laced with concern but also forced as she tries to comprehend the situation. Finally, she realizes what is going on and she sits up straighter.

"Okay, let me help you with this…," she starts and suddenly, the whole room buzzes as everyone either rushes over to Ally or shoots their hands up and waits for her. And it continues for the whole period.

My scowl deepens in worry as I watch Ally the entire time. She moves from desk to desk, offering her assistance and tips for the question. When she is finished with one student, another one suddenly calls her over and Ally goes to help that person. But, no one can see that she is practically _dragging_ her feet across the floor and her voice comes out soft and strained.

Finally, when everyone finishes the question, the bell rings and all of the students flood out the door- except Ally and I.

I cautiously walk over to her just as Ally slumps back into her seat. She rubs her eyes and sighs. Then, as if she just realized my presence, she slowly looks up at me. Her mouth opens but no words come out. She just sighs again and places her head into her hands.

And I feel broken. How could anyone treat her like this? There were many times when Ally had impressed me but today- I was downright speechless. I grab all my stuff with one hand and then quickly pile Ally's things on top of them. I look down to see that she is blinking slowly, about to fall asleep again and I feel guilty when I cause her to jerk awake.

"Ally, I'm going to bring you home," I say as I lift her out of her seat. At this point, the teacher is long gone and no one is here to see me pick up Ally into my arms. Her sigh muffles against my chest and I walk out to the parking lot to my car.

After I put Ally in the passenger seat, I circle around and get in the car, only to stop my action when I realize that I don't know her address. I glance over to Ally and her sleeping face distracts me. She looks perfect in this state where there are no worries or things to stress over. I feel myself pull out of the lot, knowing exactly where to go because, I wouldn't wake Ally up. She deserves rest after all she's done for me. But, as I speed down the road, I know that she's going to kill me when she wakes up.

** My story feels so boring but, is it just me? Please bare with me and I promise it'll get better. Also, thanks to all of you who have taken your time to review. I'm not one to do shout outs but just know that I know who always reads my chapters and says the nicest things.**

** If you could, please take some time to review, follow and fav. **

** Thanks!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 20- **She Doesn't Fall**

Ally's POV

I wake up feeling refreshed and alert. The sun was shining through the giant windows, creating prisms of light when they hit shiny, glass things- which there seemed to be a lot of. I softly exhale, enjoying the comfort and warmth I feel at this moment. I look around lazily, not aware of my surroundings and suddenly, realize that my warmth doesn't have anything to do with being wrapped around in a cashmere blanket and everything to do with being pressed against another body. I shift away, startled, and I rub my eyes. When the sleep is out of them, I start to look carefully around. I see the sunlight streaming in through the window but I also notice that outside, there are no other houses or sidewalks like at my house - only trees. Also, the inside of my house was much different. I had tons of pictures of my family, everything was tight spaced- overflowing with my dad and my things and I always had a couple crumpled up song sheets on the floor. But, the fact that gave away that this wasn't my house was the _bareness_ of everything. All the walls were solid and undecorated, staring at me plainly. Even the furniture was too orderly, all the couches and pillows matching each other and all the wooden objects the same colour. It was as if someone just randomly chose the matching house décor instead of spending their time picking their favourite furniture items.

I frowned. _Then if this isn't my house, where am I?_

And just as I thought this, a memory came chasing behind it:

_My eyes are tired. I've been trying to keep them open for too long. Luckily, we are back. I see the door being swung open and then, the air conditioning hits my face. But, I barely notice. I was concentrating on keeping my eyelids from closing. Suddenly, I feel as if I am sinking as the earth gets closer and I land on something sturdy. _A couch_ my mind supplied. I lean to the side and rest my head on a pillow. It was harder than an average pillow was supposed to be but, I didn't care. I snuggled closer, pressing my face into it and could smell a familiar scent on it. Like, soap and beach water… and syrup?_

_ I heard a sharp intake of breath somewhere close by but I had already closed my lids, and did not think I would be able to open them again. So, I shift my weight and wrap my arms around the pillow, feeling hard planes on it._

_ Another deep breath and my head rocks with it. _

_ "Ally, this isn't a good idea," someone's voice says. Austin. My heart thumps out of rhythm for a second, aware of how close his voice sounded, almost like his lips were right by my ear…_

_ "S'okay," I mumble, the words lost into the pillow. Then, when there are a couple beats of silence, I start to let go, letting sleep take me over._

_ "I meant for me," I heard him whisper; sounding like it was more to himself than me. But, I can't give it much thought as to what he could have meant because when the silence comes again, I let myself drift unconscious._

I jerk backwards when the memory vanishes. I sit still for a minute, thinking harder and putting pieces of my thoughts together that I was too dazed yesterday to figure out. This was Austin's house, Austin brought me here and Austin… he was the "pillow." I gasp out loud, startled that I did that, even if I couldn't control my actions at that time.

"Ally?" a voice asks beside me. My heart leaps again, startled from the sudden voice that broke the silence but mostly because my name was the word he said on the edge of sleep. I look down just as Austin opens his eyes and blinks a couple of times. I suddenly feel my face flush as I take in his morning appearance. His eyes were sparkling even though he just woke up, his hair was a soft blonde mess and he had an innocent smile playing on his lips. It was very hot. _Ally!_ I try to scold myself. But, unlike every other time, I wasn't listening to my conscience and instead, was subtly roaming my eyes across his features. I 'tsk' myself in my head. Even if I have the upper hand in my mind battle, the innocence in me always slips through. I dart my eyes away and focus back to the huge glass window taking up most of the wall. I look a little longer and see that the sun is shining _very_ brightly, shooting beams of sunlight into Austin's house. This makes me think that it was past morning, and a second later, Austin confirms my thought.

"So, do you want to have breakfast?" he starts as he glances up to a clock I had not seen hanging on a wall. "Or lunch, actually?" I make a show of thinking his offer over so I don't seem too desperate but, my stomach was already protesting, giving away my answer.

Austin smirks and gets off of the couch. Then, he grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. I try not to gasp as his touch sends tendrils of electricity up my arm. _So, I wasn't dreaming that part_ I think, and then as an afterthought, _but what does this mean?_

Austin starts leading us to his kitchen, and all the while, I am staring at his house. I had realized that besides his furniture in the living room, there wasn't any room that we had past that had much of anything else. Just the simple things like a carpet and some chairs. We enter his kitchen and I take in that it looks the same as every other room. The only difference was that there were kitchen necessities like a huge metal fridge and a stove next to it. This made me wonder yet again why there were no other things that would make his house… homier_. _

"So," Austin says when I take a seat at the kitchen table. "Pancakes?"

As soon as the word goes through his lips, a childish grin spreads onto Austin's face. One that I have never seen before. It looks like an expression on a child that is locked in a candy store. Austin doesn't even wait for my answer and he turns around to get the supplies. I smile to myself and remember only one of the thousands of the talks about Austin.

**Flashback…**

_ "Trish, why do I have to be here?" I say, exasperated. My Latina friend pushes open the cafeteria doors and then proceeds to push me through them. I sigh as she is stronger than me and pushes me all the way through. Then, realizing that escape is probably impossible, I trudge to the table where Trish is already waiting._

_ "Okay, we're so glad that you could make it!" A girl said to me. She had nice peachy skin with straight blond hair. In other words, one of Austin's most obsessed fans- Cassidy. So, her welcoming someone who wasn't a fan of him at all- me-, was very confusing._

_ "So, last night, in Cheetah Beat, I found this," Cassidy says to the entire group of the fangirls. She lifts up a colourful magazine and obviously, a picture of Austin is on the page she shows us. But, it was a column and the title read "Austin Moon loves pancakes!" I sit back in my seat when all of the girls scream and start fighting for the magazine. Finally, a pair of arms reaches into the group and pulls the magazine away from the rest of them. When they all sigh and sit back down in their seats, I see that Cassidy is holding the magazine, and she is looking straight at me._

_ "Ally, this is why you are here," Cassidy starts as she puts her hand on the table and leans closer. This makes me think of a predator about to pounce onto its prey, and I scoot farther back on my chair._

_ "Since everyone thinks you are so nice, we need you to talk to the lunch lady and get her to make us pancakes every day." All the girls start chattering about the new idea, thinking it would get Austin to show up or something, and I sit uneasily in my chair. The idea of pancakes _every day_ was quite abnormal, not to mention I had to lie to the staff-._

_ "So, you will do it, right Ally?" Cassidy asks, but her voice states that I didn't have a choice. Everyone at the table turned to look at me and I felt as if I were trapped in a cage. So, forgetting my earlier thoughts, I scramble out of my seat and go to the office to suggest 'my new idea.'_

Needless to say, I always brought my own lunch from that day on. Ironically, it seemed that the girls' plan had worked because Austin did enroll to our school but, the point is: Austin's pancake obsession.

I look up to see Austin frowning at the pancake mix and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He might love them but I bet he doesn't know how to make them. I get off my chair and walk beside him. Then, I pull the package from his hand and turn to the stove. Minutes after I have put all the ingredients together in silence, Austin speaks.

"Ally, let me do that," he says as he reaches for the bowl. Austin's head is ducked down but I can see that his cheeks are pink. I smile and willingly hand over the bowl and whisk.

"Sorry," Austin says, referring to how he doesn't know how to make pancakes. I just nod, accepting his apology and then, I excuse myself to use the bathroom, missing how he was about to say something else.

** I hope you guys are enjoying my story but if you are not, I apologize for that. Also, I'm sad to say that there will be only a couple chapters left to this story. And some of you might be thinking "but Austin and Ally haven't gotten together yet!" and I will just say be patient. I will try my best to end this story as best I can but right now, I just want to know what you think.**

** Thanks to those who have stayed with my story, you guys are amazing! I hope you review and if you do, I want to know if you have read my little author's note.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21- **She Doesn't Fall**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and remember that this story is almost finished! Also, please read my author's note's. Sometimes, it's just "please review, follow and fav," but since this story is coming to an end, I will be posting about new stories, and other information.** Austin's POV

Ally's disappears through the kitchen door and I run my fingers through my hair, disappointed that she left before I could say something. Yet, another part of me was relieved because if I did get a chance to say what was on my mind, I could've ruined the friendship that Ally and I had created. So, on that dark note, I pushed my thoughts aside and focused on mixing the batter.

"Smells good," a voice commented behind me as I finished stacking the golden pancakes onto the table. Obviously since its Ally, I feel blood creep onto my cheeks and I have to duck my face away. When I look back up, Ally had silently made her way to a chair and is nibbling on a pancake.

"Aw man!" I pout, unable to help myself when it involves pancakes.

"Ally, I wanted the first one!" I say, slumping in my chair and looking at the brunette who has a confused expression on her face. Then, Ally bursts into laughter.

"Really… Austin?" she says in between giggles. When I don't respond, she breaks into another fit of hysterics while I just sit and watch. Finally, Ally calms down and she looks me up and down, not necessarily checking me out (not that I would've minded) but more like she was thinking.

"You are so childish," she finally says and in my delight, Ally pulls off a piece of her pancake and tosses it to me. I shout "yes" before I open my mouth and catch the piece, all while Ally is laughing again. When the atmosphere settles down, we continue to eat when Ally suddenly breaks the comfortable silence.

"Austin… I want to know more about you," she blurts out, almost shyly. My eyes widen a fraction, my mouth in mid- bite. I guess... I was surprised? Well, yes because I never thought Ally would've wanted to know things involving me. Besides, she probably knows _more_ than I do about myself from those obsessive girls at school. But, I was feeling more hopeful because Ally was taking a risk getting to know me. This brought a memory back to the surface of my brain. I had wanted so badly to see the other side of her, knowing that there was a very slim chance of her trusting me again but now, well, I'm not sure.

"Okay," I say. Ally flicks her head up and stares at me, surprised that I said yes.

"But, I would like to get to know you too," I say, but the 'can I?' was floating underneath the sentence. I wanted to know so much about this amazing girl in front of me but, she had to open up to me first. And after a long moment of silence, Ally says one word, "Okay."

And so I start talking. I tell her about my family, about how I am an only child. I explain the hard life of being the prince of Moon's Mattress Kingdom, at which Ally laughs at, saying she could see that happening, and I tell her of my one dream of being a star. Of how my dad said that I had a one out of a gazillion chances of making it in the music business and how that pushed me to prove him wrong.

And when I finally stopped after what seemed like hours, Ally started. She told me about how her mom is in Africa and her dad works at Sonic Boom. I learn that she is also an only child with a passion for music. But, unlike me, she didn't get her big break and never thinks about it because her dad needs help with the store. And then, she moves onto something I can tell is personal.

"So, everyone knows how… good I am. But Trish and Dez are the only ones who know why, and I want to tell you too." I open my mouth to protest. Sure, I know that Ally is kind and genuine but it doesn't seem right for _me_ to know why considering it is so important to her. Maybe she is just caught up in the moment.

"No, it's okay Austin," Ally says and she puts up her hand to silence me.

"I am who I am because it's for the best, I guess you could say. When my parents divorced, I could see how it impacted both of them, especially my dad, he was so upset, and after that day I just started noticing everything. I saw how mentally broken someone could get over slight things, I understood the teachers' stress when we don't listen in class and I know how things can go from amazing to disastrous in a heartbeat depending on what you do. So, I figured I could be what was needed. At the beginning of sophomore year, I became that smart girl who helped everyone, that girl that always does and says the right thing and that girl… that saved everyone." Ally faltered at the end, overwhelmed by emotion. But, I couldn't name it. She seemed to be thinking about many things, causing her face to frown and lift at different times.

"And I have been this way ever since, so it is hard for me to act differently, if I ever wanted to." Ally stops and slightly shrugs her shoulder, as if this was the finality of it and it makes me realize another reason why she shouldn't have told me: I didn't want to hear it. I hated listening to how Ally gives up her life to help everyone. Sure, she is probably the nicest girl but, she doesn't see that what she is doing comes with a price. I clench my jaw to keep myself from saying anything. Ally was opening up to me and I wasn't going to scold her.

"Well," Ally starts after we've both lapsed into silence, "I think I should go home now." She gestures to the setting sun outside and I realize with a start that we _had_ been talking for hours. We both stand up- Ally getting ready to leave and me about to walk her out when we suddenly hear an all too familiar noise. Clicking and shuffling of feet are surrounding the house and we both freeze. Seconds later, flashing shines through the closed and curtained windows, leaving no doubt. Ally slowly turns to me, a grimace on her face.

"Please tell me it isn't…" She trails off, already knowing the answer. We both look at each other, thinking off different outcomes but eventually, only one thing comes to mind.

"Ally," I sigh, "You can't leave."

** Okay, I know that this story is close to being finished but this means that I will be starting a new one, one that I have already started writing. Please review and tell me what you think, what you liked or anything else.**

** Thank you guys so much for staying with this story! **


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Ok, guess what? I'm NOT DEAD! I am so sorry guys! I haven't updated in so long because I was literally stumped and out of ideas. But, I didn't give up. I always look at all your amazing reviews to give me inspiration. Now, I'm officially back and my creative juices are flowing like crazy! Yeah, that's a horrible excuse, but you'll forgive me when you read this chapter… or you'll kill me. We'll see!**

**Enjoy!**

Austin's POV

I watch anxiously as Ally continues to pace back and forth in my kitchen. Sometimes, she stops and thinks for a second until the bright flashes explode through the curtains and she is moving again.

And I have been watching her do this for the past 10 minutes. And honestly, I don't feel any better. But, it's not because of the paparazzi. It is because of the petite brunette in front of me. I have been trying to hide it, possibly since the first day I met her, but Ally is invading my thoughts, day and night. All I can see is her bright smile, brown orbs called eyes, her creamy skin and her curvy body. Especially when she is like this: her eye brows slightly pulled together and her lower lip turning darker as she bites down on it.

I suddenly sit up straighter on my chair; I'm feeling something that I haven't experienced in a long time. Ever since Ally's hospital incident, I have slowly lessened my fangirl base. Well, at Marino High. I had started to pull away from the cheerleader table, feeling weird when they tried to flirt with me. And, I no longer felt anything when every girl threw themselves at me. It's like I've matured… no, I physically changed. It's like my attitude did a three sixty and I started noticing every girl individually and how they hung on my every word if it was about my career, but they ignored me when I was trying to talk about myself. But, one girl didn't care who I was from the start. She had liked me when she got to know _me_. And this girl was still pacing, her hand resting casually on her hip. But, not casually enough. Ally Dawson was making me hard.

I gulp and suddenly stand up. _She doesn't like you that way _I say to myself. Ally's dark brown eyes meet mine when I start walking to the kitchen door. I freeze for a moment, seeing something flicker behind her eyes. It seemed familiar but I couldn't think much of it because my pants were… tightening, and it would be utterly humiliating having to explain to Ally why _he _was here.

"Where are you going?" Ally curiously asks, the stressful situation seeming forgotten at the moment. She tilts her head to the side as she waits for me to answer and just this little action seems to turn me on even more. I couldn't help it, though. This girl was driving me crazy. But, even if I craved for her, she would never feel the same way. I was sure that Ally wanted to just be friends, and I wasn't going to try to take advantage of her niceness either. But, as we continue to stare at each other, I feel my legs fight to move closer to her. I clench my jaw.

"To my room," I lie, my voice hoarse. "I'll be right back." And then, before I can embarrass myself or Ally can say anything, I escape out of the kitchen.

Ally's POV

I stare after Austin as he speeds out of the room, his position ram- rod straight. When he is out if sight, I sigh and collapse onto a chair. I flex both of my feet, my body relaxing as the aching decreases. I am stupid. I wasn't brave enough to take over this situation and talk to Austin so instead, I occupy myself by pacing around. Then, Austin leaves and I am left alone with my confused thoughts. Actually, only one: I like Austin. The full truth of the statement hits me and I gasp, my eyes widening. I don't know how it happened; Austin is just sweet, caring, and after getting to know him more, I finally understand that I've been labeling him wrong. Sure, in the beginning, Austin was an arrogant, cocky jerk with a pretty face, but now, I know that was just some façade. Actually, he has been extremely humble and under the radar these past months. It's really amazing to see the real Austin come out. So, why did I always push him away? Thinking about it, I guess that it's because I am used to being right. Maybe I've known that Austin's cocky side was just a cover up all this time, but I've pushed it away, for fear that I was wrong all along. But, it had come full circle. I now accept that I was completely wrong about Austin. He is pretty amazing.

Just as I think this, I hear a lot of shuffling coming from somewhere outside of the kitchen. For a split second, I think that the paparazzi have broken in, but then, I hear a familiar grunt and I laugh. Whatever Austin is doing, it must be frustrating. After a moment of hesitation, I decide to follow the sound and figure out what he's doing. I make my way to the living room and see that it's empty, so I continue to walk straight. Too bad, I realize after I've walked for minutes, that Austin's house is so big! I stop short as I walk past a room labelled pool and turn around to see nothing familiar. Everything was branching into more hallways and doors. I had no idea where I was! Thinking that that rule to "stay put when lost" didn't apply to this particular situation, I picked a hall at random and walked down it. Then, I was stopped at a large staircase, something that should belong in a grand entry room, not a mere hall. It was times like these where I suddenly remember that Austin is a huge teen pop star and had heaps of money.

I look over my shoulder and am not surprised to see that I don't recognize anything. Sometime while I was walking, I made it my mission to find Austin. Obviously since I can't navigate this house on my own, my best bet is to find Austin. I start ascending the stairs, thinking _even if I get lost, I can just go down_. I make it to the top floor, or maybe it is the second out of who-knows-how-many, and find that this floor is more complex than the first, if that's even possible. There are more than a dozen doors wrapped around the room and I'm betting that half of these doors lead to another series of doors. I sigh in frustration, wondering how I had possibly made found the bathroom earlier today. Then again, it was just a hall down from the kitchen…

I quickly snap out of my reverie when I hear a sound coming from one of the doors. Hope surges through me as I quickly locate the door. It was the farthest one to the left. Without reading the sign, I burst in and then, I gasp.

Austin was standing with his hands on the counter, staring into the mirror. His hair was disheveled, as if he combed his fingers through it in frustration. But, he looked normal, exactly like when he left the kitchen. Except… there was a tent in Austin's pants. And he was aware of it.

"Ally! I can explain!" Austin says quickly, as if the sight of his boner will scare me off. And it might've, if I wasn't smart. But, I know what happens when guys get turned on. The only question was _who_ is turning him on? Austin slowly approaches me, and I suddenly blush madly as I realize my gaze is still locked on his pants. I raise my eyes and when they meet Austin's, it's like every emotion is written on his face. I see fear for what he's afraid I'm thinking, humiliation for being caught in this situation, and finally, lust. His whole body is radiating with desire as he continues to look at me. And I share it. I know that this Austin standing in front of me is _my_ Austin. Not the one with the cover up, not the one concerned with anything involving his career, but the Austin that cares for nothing more than me and my feelings. And what we do next, I think we've both been waiting for it for a long time.

Austin rushes forward just as I do, and we both crash into each other, our bodies pressed tight. I immediately find my hands running through his soft locks, and Austin's hands travel down my back, making me shiver. We stare at each other and lean in.

"Ally, I've always liked you, since the first day we met," Austin starts, his gaze burning right into me. "I'm changing. I will never be that obnoxious player I was the first day I met you. Please, will you be my girlfriend?" My eyes grow wide as does my smile.

"Austin, I'm sorry for being so horrible to you. All you have ever done was try to get to know me, and I _do_ know you're changing. If you weren't, I wouldn't be saying… I like you too, and yes!" Austin's perfect smile grows until he's practically shining with happiness.

His eyes captivate me and he starts leaning in. My heart beats out of my chest, and I lean in too, my eyes closing. Finally, I feel soft lips close over mine, and I part mine automatically. Austin's sweet, unique breath washes over me and I feel strong hands pull me impossibly closer to him. Austin and I are sharing our first kiss.

Then, everything goes black and I collapse.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Hi! How's it going everybody? Did you guys know that my last update had the most reads out of all the chapters? Ya, so THANK YOU! You are all awesome! But, I'm not… not really. A lot of you are surprised by the ending of my last chapter so… without further ado, find out what happens next:**

Ally's POV

"Ally! Ally! Wake up, please!" I hear the voice loud in my ear, and recognize it as Austin's. Memories suddenly flood back into me: Our talk, the kiss, and then, me fainting. Austin says my name again, and his tone sounds like one lanced with so much pain that my stomach lurches with guilt and I slowly become conscious, aware of a strong pair of arms holding me up.

"Think… I… passed out. Forgot… to breathe," I say as I gulp in air. My eyes are trained on anywhere but Austin as I attempt to cool my cheeks. Wow, how embarrassing to pass out because Austin's lips caused me to forget every damn thing in the world, including breathing. At least I know what to expect for next time. _Next time _I think, my mind already starting back up. I would not faint again. I would not be labelled the one in the relationship that cared way more than the other, but, when I finally look around and into Austin's gentle and relieved eyes, I know that that wasn't true. But, where his eyes are caring and sweet, his lips are pulled into a tiny smirk, knowing the advantage he has over me. I shoot him a half- hearted glower, but not really minding. Besides, why would I mind when I get to kiss those lips again. Speaking of which, I feel the intense atmosphere charge in the air again and I lean in… only to pout when Austin chuckles and pulls away. "Ally, we'll have plenty of time for that later, but right now, I want to treat my girlfriend…," my stomach churns at the sound of _girlfriend_ coming from Austin's lips, and it's directed at me. How this all happened? I don't have enough time to think it over thoroughly.

Austin begins dragging me out of his bathroom and back to the kitchen. "…because, if you don't recall, you just passed out five minutes ago." I roll my eyes and Austin laughs, both of us entirely happy at this moment. Too bad, as soon as we reach the kitchen, we both hear the clicking and see flashes of bright light through the blinds, and our peaceful serenity shatters. Austin growls under his breath and we both sit down, not knowing what to do. The noise was so annoying and loud that we could barely hear each other. "Austin! How can you stand this? Isn't there anything you can do?" I ask, scooting closer to him.

Austin suddenly tenses and he glances at me briefly, not holding my gaze. "Uh… I can't do anything about this, I'd just got used to it," he says weakly. I stare at Austin for a second, comprehending his words and then, as if I got hit with a book of memories, I jerk back, and lose myself to my thoughts. _The first day I met him, he was hiding behind chairs, hiding from the paparazzi. Then, at the beach and throughout the day: hiding and running from the paparazzi. They always seem to be focused solely on him. And Austin, he was the real mystery. Why was he so scared of them? What had happened? Heck, why did he even come to Miami in the first place? _My thoughts and words swirl in my head, causing me to groan. Too many things to think about. I knew that I had a plug somewhere. All I had to do was pull it out and ask the questions in my head. The only problem, though, was that Austin might not answer them. _Worth a try_ I think. Besides, I had a feeling he would tell me. We were closer now. Something about experiencing the workings of the paparazzi together bonded us. So, I grab onto the cord, and yank.

"Austin!" I blurt out, after we had both been silent for an impossibly long time. He starts and looks up at me. His eyes were tired, as if he knew what was coming. "Please, Austin. Tell me why the paparazzi bother you so much." My eyes are begging, hoping Austin trusts me enough. He sighs and finally looks at me. Without realizing it, Austin grabs my hand and plays with my fingers. Then, he starts talking.

"When I was younger, about ten years ago, I was just starting to build my fame up, doing music covers, and singing on the street. The paparazzi took an interest in me for being so young yet so talented, but they targeted my parents instead. I don't know why. Maybe it was because their Mattress Kingdom was the best in the country, but whatever the reason, my parents were in the spotlight. Early in the beginning though, none of us were aware of how good the reporters were, until one day, my parents were walking around town and saw an edition of Cheetah Beat. It was labelled "The Moon's go full circle." There was a picture of my parents in their store after closing…" Austin moves to draw circles on my hand and he laughs bitterly. "… Apparently, their mattresses were _too_ comfy. So, the paparazzi caught them in the act and after that… well, I was a laughing stock. Everywhere I went, my former friends would make fun of me because of my parents, saying things like, "Hey, are _any_ of those mattresses even _clean_?" I would try to ignore them, but even adults would look at me with distaste. It was horrible. The Mattress Kingdom went down in business and I only had my parents to talk to. They were good though, they continued to work and go on with their lives, but I was the one getting the looks and snide remarks.

"Eventually, Starr Records signed me and I quickly became famous. It was the greatest thing to happen at that time. The Moon Mattress Kingdom became popular again, I sky rocketed, and no one dared to insult me anymore. Not that I cared though. After those years of living through what I did, I learned to block people out. I didn't care what anyone thought of me and I just… went on with my life. Somewhere in there, while I was ignoring the haters and bullies, I became self- absorbed, thinking that since the haters couldn't get to me, I was pretty much unstoppable. And it never did stop. I spent years thinking I was a prize, loving how girls fell head- over- heels for me, and how I could get pretty much anything I wanted… except the paparazzi to leave me alone. After the whole incident, my parents drilled in my brain that they were never to be trusted and I believed that. I knew the damage they could implement and I tried to stay clear of them. I made a promise to myself never to be exposed to them, but they keep on following me. It gets overwhelming at times and I remember once when it got so bad that I had no more inspiration in my music. I could still sing but it wasn't fun anymore. So, I guess I could say… the paparazzi bother me so much because… well, they ruined my childhood, took away my freedom, my love for music, and they made me become a person who I wasn't, and I just don't want anything else bad to happen." Austin finishes his story and we just sit there in silence. I could feel tears prickling my eyes from the emotionality of his story. Because of the paparazzi, Austin lost so many things. He grew up with the cameras always in the background, and had built a wall to conceal his true feelings. No one should have to go through that.

Finally, my tears trail down my cheeks and onto my clothes. The sadness of Austin's past knocks into me as if I had also experienced it and I reach forward and wrap my arms around Austin. Somewhere, I feel his arms snake around and pull me closer, but I was mostly focused on our rhythmic breathing.

"Ally, don't be sad, okay?" Austin says, but his voice is thick with emotion. He pulls back and I see his eyes are rimmed red. "The paparazzi may have done all those things, but you helped me through it. Yeah, my childhood can't be replaced, but you showed me how to love music again, and helped me find my real self under my conceited wall. So thank you, so much." I smile and rest my head on Austin's shoulder. I think he's content how, finally telling someone about his fear… but, I'm not. As his words are rolling through my mind, I think about how he didn't mention his freedom. He probably thinks that it's impossible to be free since the paparazzi are stopping him. And I hate that.

As I rest on Austin's shoulder, I think of the paparazzi. They are monsters. They purposely find something humiliating and private of someone and shamelessly show the whole world.

And, as long as they are targeting Austin, I was going to do something about it.

**Hiiiii! So, what'd you all think? I don't know about you, but I like how Austin's speech went. I literally typed, and deleted, and thought for hours to get the perfect words. I am pretty proud! But, what are you thinking? Review and tell me! **

**See you next time!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 24- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Hiiii guys! I want to know how many of you that are following me are also following me on Instagram! My Insta account is auslly_ _fangirl for those who would like to follow me. If you are, it would be awesome if you comment something on my latest most like, "Hi, Writingwithheart," or something. It's much appreciated! **

**Now, onto the story (finally, right?)…**

Ally's POV

I jump in the air when my phone vibrates. "Ah!" I shriek, and then I clamp my hand over my mouth, praying no one heard. I peer over the top of the bushes, and luckily, nothing had changed. I silently let out a breath and check my phone.

"Sweet dreams Ally :)" my text said. I smile to myself, and send him something back: "Good night Austin!:)" When the text sends, I slip the phone back into my pocket and look up. Austin's room was dim, his lights now off.

If you're wondering "What the heck is going on!?" I'll answer that simply: My plan. After that emotional day at Austin's house, I have been turning thoughts over and over in my head. _What was going to happen? What was _I_ going to do?_ And, most importantly: _What are _we _going to do? _

Most days, I have either snuck out the back door or left late in the night. Austin had told me that the deal he had with the paparazzi was that they were only allowed on Austin's property after school and they had to leave before night fall. Lately though, as if they knew there was new gossip (_cough_ our relationship _cough_), they have been staying longer, almost until the next morning. This seriously irritated me, and leads to my plan. I had decided to do something to stop the paparazzi in their tracks. Show Austin that they don't rule his life. So, most of my time—when I was not with Austin, I would be up in my room, planning.

And now it was time to put Operation Paparazzi Spoiler into action. I was going to go to Cheetah Beats' Headquarters, find the central link in their industry, hopefully the boss, and find something humiliated of them. Then, I would persuade them to trade Austin's freedom for the picture. Blackmailing, yes; kind of evil, also yes. But, my plan was also _incredibly_ faulty. Why? Because of the fact that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing! The past days, my training had come from _The Spy Kids'_ movies, and involved searching the web on how to be stealthy. The only outcomes I've learned from that are: dress dark, be quiet, and be prepared. So far, I've only got the dark part down—covered in black everything, including a black beanie, and gloves. _Almost made Austin do a double take when he saw my appearance today, though. His eyes bulged out, but he quickly covered it up_. I laughed at the memory, then immediately shut my mouth. Obviously, I wasn't quiet, since a mere vibration of my phone sent me screaming, and I had just laughed loudly as if I wasn't currently hiding behind a bush. It was pure luck that I hadn't been discovered yet. My equipment on the other hand, was a whole different story, meaning, I didn't have much. A simple video camera, my cellphone, rope, a flashlight, and pepper spray. Yeah… I would be laughing at myself for the lack of preparation if I wasn't trying to be quiet. Anyway, now, I was camouflaged behind a large bush in Austin's front yard, waiting for the paparazzi to leave, so I could follow them, because, being the _amazing_ spy I am, it hadn't occurred to me to search for the address of the HQ's.

Finally, after what seemed like an agonizingly long time, the large group with cameras and notepads start shuffling around and I risk a glance over the bush. Everyone had assembled into a group near two dark vans, looking disappointed and tired. I guess they didn't get anything today. My thought is confirmed when the group starts splitting up, half going to one van and the other half going to the other. _This is my chance! _I think excitedly. I had to get to my car, and follow them or else I would've spent two hours outside, and in the dark for nothing. I jump up and start to move over to my car. Then, immediately, I fall down and face-plant into the grass.

"Oof!" I say as the air gets knocked out of me. Of all the times to have my leg fall asleep! Fortunately, and unfortunately, all the reporters were in the vans, ready to leave, so they didn't notice me. But, they might if one of them turns around, and then Austin would be looking forward to a magazine with me sprawled on his front yard at, like, midnight. This motivates me to get up and ignore the stinging pain as blood circulates back to my feet, and I silently get into my car.

Scrambling to shift the car into Drive, I take a quick glance over to Austin's house.

_For us, Austin_ I think. I would complete this mission and then Austin and I could have a happy relationship without any troubles. Let's just hope I don't get caught and thrown in jail before that.

With that happy thought in mind, I pressed the gas pedal, and sped along after the two vans.

I pause at the red light and see my digital clock in my peripheral vision. '12:56' it read. My eyes widen and I mentally groan. God, I had been following the two vans almost across town! I had passed more than ten lights and a dozen blocks, and still, the vans hadn't stopped. At this point, I was seriously regretting not searching up the address ahead of time.

The light changes to green and I sped forward, but am careful not to be too close to the vehicles. The last thing I wanted was to have my cover blown. I drive silently, peering at the scenery of complexes and stores, feeling as if I was playing Follow the Leader. The minutes drag by excruciatingly slowly and the city lights fade in and out of focus. Suddenly, my phone vibrates again and I am grateful (and surprised) that I had something to look forward to, even if it was small and unimportant. At least it was a distraction. I pick up my phone and realize that it was a call. My heart leaps as I read the caller ID.

"Hey Austin…," I trail off, pretending as if I had just woken up. In reality, my body felt as if I had just run a race; I was full of adrenaline. Austin laughs softly through the phone and I notice that he doesn't sound sleepy. A second later, he confirms it.

"Hey Ally. Sorry to wake you, I just couldn't sleep. I guess I'm still energetic from today. I thought that hearing your voice would relax me… I didn't think this through, though." I smile, accepting his apology.

"It's alright, I won't be sleeping for a while, anymore," I say, trying to imply that Austin had chased all my sleepiness away, but, take away the "anymore" and that would be the absolute truth.

My mind was trained on our conversation, but my eyes were focused on the road ahead. The vans seemed to be slowing down (finally!) and my eyebrows lifted in anticipation.

"Ally, I know we just spent time together, but, I really want to see you again," Austin says, and I can imagine him blushing on the other line. I was too, and it was harder to focus on the vans—who had just turned a sharp corner. I slowed down and turned when it seemed like they wouldn't see me. "Aw, I know how you feel Austin. I wish we didn't have to go to school tomorrow and we could hang out together." I blush at this revelation, but it quickly fades as I approach something huge in the distance.

"Yeah, but, moments like these, they really have the same affect. I can imagine you right now: hair swept to the side, looking adorable in your pj's…," Austin trails off happily, which makes me feel incredibly guilty since I caught, like, only half of what he said. My attention was now trained on the road ahead, my body leaning forward expectedly. The giant blob I saw earlier now focused into a looming building, as tall as a skyscraper. I knew this was HQ, because 1) the vans had turned off their headlights and were circling behind the building to park, and 2) the large CHEETAH BEAT INC. sign was kinda hard to miss. My breath caught as I saw that there didn't seem to be any security cameras; this mission was fated to succeed, but, unfortunately, there were two security guards at the main doors. So, I turn off my headlights and follow the vans to the back. They were pulled into two slots near another door, this one more discreet and small, with no security at all.

"Ally?" Austin asks, his voice mildly alarmed. I guess he heard my intake of breath. "Are you okay?" I look around the lot until I see an empty spot. Hopefully, no one was going to notice my out of place car. I park and relax my breathing for a second.

"Yeah, I'm alright… just a little tired…," I lie, praying that I sound convincing. At the same time, the groups of paparazzi I was following walks out of the vans. The first couple of people walk up to the door and I watch as they pull out some cards and slide it through the reader. _Oh no_ I think. I had to follow them in or else there was no other way, unless I wanted to break in—which I do not.

"Good, I'm glad you're okay. Anyway, I was thinking… how about tomorrow after school—," I cut Austin off, my mind currently too occupied to think about feeling bad that I did that, because the last few stragglers were leaving the vans and if I didn't go now, I would miss my chance.

"Yeah, sounds great Austin! I'll see you tomorrow!" I say, only later realizing that he never told me what we were going to do. But, too frantic to dwell on it, I shut off my phone and throw it in my bag, then, I sling it over my shoulder and jump out my car, locking the door in the process.

The cool night air greets me and I survey the area. Seeing the couple of reporters head towards the door, I burst into a sprint and dive behind another bush, this one about five feet away from the door. I watch as the people approach, talking about the latest gossip (obviously) and then, they are a few feet away as well. I hear an audible 'click' as the reader accepts their cards, and I am already up and running. Some part of me is thinking _What the heck are you doing?! _as I run to the door, hands outstretched, in an attempt to catch the handle. _This is insane! How are you going to pull this off? _

In truth, I had no idea. I mean, I had run the plan over and over in my head, but now that I was at the HQ's and was about to become a trespasser, my mind was blank.

My hands grab the cold metal handle mere inches before it closes, and my eyes widen in disbelief.

_I guess I'll find out_ I think, and before I can change my mind, I slip smoothly through the doors.

**Ahhhhh… done! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! There's only a couple more to go! It's going to be sad when this story ends, but thanks to all of you for following on this journey! **

**See y'all next time ;) **


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Ahhh… *sighs* Life is good right now. I went to my very first R5 concert on Tues Sept 23, and had just gotten my Meet and Greet photo. You don't know how relieved I am that I was smiling and looking in the camera. At that time, I was so awestruck that I barely had time to find the camera before the picture was snapped. Anyways, the whole point of this mini life story is that all my creative juices are flowing like crazy and I am writing, well, with heart right now. It also wouldn't be a surprise if I had a new story coming soon…**

**Okay, let's take a journey in Cheetah Beats HQ's:**

Ally's POV

The door slams behind me and I hear a loud click as it locks. Out of curiosity, I grab the handle and pull. It doesn't budge. _Great._ Now I was locked in. I dismiss the thought to concentrate, and turn to look at the area. The first word that popped into my mind was _big_. The whole room was huge. It was white, and incandescent lights glowed, casting the room in yellowish light. It outlined the 4 doors leading into other unknown rooms. My eyes whipped to each door, reading the signs quickly, afraid that I was going to get caught soon. They read "Discussion Room," "Lounge," "Presentation Place," and "Hall A." I supressed a sigh; this was going to take a while. I swiftly grabbed my phone out of my bag, tapping the camera app, and walked towards the Discussion Room. Taking deep breaths, I crack the door open, praying like hell that no one was in there. What if they were having a meeting right now? Gah! I scold myself once again for my lack in preparation. _Austin_ I think, remembering his golden hair and childish grin. _For Austin_. I pull the door a teensy bit wider and cautiously walk in. Nothing. I can practically feel my heart rate slowing in relief as I see no one in the room. _Doesn't mean no one will show up later_ I say to myself, ruining the mood. But, I push myself to hurry up. I walk to the center of the room and look around, scanning the tables, charts and anything else.

My eyes suddenly land on a small board leaning on the ground. I slowly walk up to it, my eyes catching a familiar blond colour. _Oh God_ I suck in a breath. The board was taped and covered in mini pictures of Austin. Austin on the beach, walking out of his house, in his car, during football games… I try not to gag as I look at the arrows pointing to each picture with short notes attached, as if this was a murder crime case: "Moon caught leaving the beach, with a mystery girl. Who could she be?" Underneath that post was a blurry picture of Austin and me in Delilah, that day when we were trying to escape from the paparazzi. Man, just looking at this picture of us looking worried and frantic, I felt violated. I couldn't believe celebrities had to deal with this stuff. Deciding that it was a good idea, I took a shot of the board to show Austin later. When the picture was captured, I officially felt illegalized. I was now a trespasser.

With that dreaded thought in my mind, I slide through the door and go to the other rooms.

**Later…**

"Stupid… stupid… stupid…," I mumble to myself, exasperated. The rooms all looked the same; the hall was so long, my brain was starting to blank due to exhaustion… In other words: I had gotten lost.

As I had opened the door to the Hall A room, I realized that, in fact, it was a hall. A long, narrow one, with doors lining each side of it. I was like, "how could it hurt?" since every other room I had explored were empty with nothing good to blackmail with. So, my idiotic self had decided to go deeper into the heart of the HQ's. Some point, in some branch of the hallway, though, I had finally realized that I had no idea which way was back out, or where I was. So now, I am currently stumbling forward, or maybe it was backwards, in the hall, trying out a couple doors, still holding my phone.

A little earlier on, I had checked it and it read "2:28." I had fought my hysteria, wondering if everyone had left and I was going to be stuck overnight in here. But then, I heard some voices in a random room, talking, and spun around to go in an opposite direction.

"My God," I groan, not even caring to be quiet anymore. Besides, my voice was so laced with exhaustion, it barely carried down the hall. As I walk, I pass a new door, and automatically pull it open, only to be faced with a toilet. My eyes widen and I flush, charged with some new-found energy. If someone had been in there… I shake my head, and hurry away, glad for the burst of adrenaline.

Sometime around 2:40, I find myself mumbling Austin's name, as I trudge around. What would happen to him if I landed in jail? What if I actually went back successful? How would I tell him my plan without having him freak out? _Hey, Austin! I know that you are, like, super scared and worried that the paparazzi will find out about me and start rumours, but, would it be okay if I had a quick chat with them? _I shake my head, dismissing that imaginary conversation. My plan wouldn't work if I was tied up and Austin was watching me to make sure I didn't go anywhere.

Finally, _finally_, a little after 3 o'clock, I got my lucky break. I had just walked into a new hall, this one dimmer and smaller than the rest, when I heard a voice. Masculine, most definitely, and close. The loudness shocked me, and I hugged the wall, bracing myself to see another person. After a second of waiting with nothing happening, I oriented myself and crept forward.

"You don't know, know, know my name, name, name,

"Gonna make, make, make you do a double take," a loud voice wails behind a door next to me. I recognize the song as one of Austin's and surprise washes over me. I quirk my eyebrow and lean against it, to hear better. Now, the voice was much clearer, showing how out of key and horrible it was. Imagine a girl wearing a retainer, singing without knowing the tune of the song, _and_ she was being tazered. Now, multiply that sound by two and you get this unknown man's singing voice.

"Buh nuh nuh," he croaks, trying to imitate the guitar part, "Make you do a double takkkkkke, buh nuh nuh!" At the point, I wince and step back, only to see the small sign taped to the door: PUBLISHER'S WASHRROOM. RESTRICTED USE. My eyes widen, and I almost start dancing from happiness. Whatever the publisher was doing in there, it was going to be the thing I would use to blackmail with. I turn on my phone and hit record as I press my side to the door, ready to shoot whatever sight, along with the singing, was on the other side. Instinctively, I look around to make sure no one was watching, and realize, who would? No wonder it was so empty in this hall. Who would want to be within hearing distance of this awful sound?

"I make you do a DOUBLE TAKKKKKE! DOUBLE TA-A-AKE, DUH-BUL TAYYYYYY-K!" the voice screeches, making me almost drop my phone.

My hand tightens on the knob, wobbling it to make sure it was unlocked, and bracing myself, I silently turn it, crack the door ajar, and step in.

"OH. MY. GOD," I mouth, my jaw dropping. My hand was still, filming the scene, but my eyes were darting around the room. Or should I say the Austin Moon shrine. His pictures and posters were plastered to every visible part of the walls, especially the exclusive ones the paparazzi took; there was a stack of pancakes with his face on them sitting on the counter for after-shower-snacking (seriously, who has a large stack of pancakes _inside_ a bathroom), and I could see a large trophy hanging on the wall with the plaque "Austin Moon's #1 fan." Not to mention the shower curtains: a whole canvas with Austin's face on it, staring at me.

When the publisher shrieks the next lyrics, I almost jump out of my skin, forgetting he was there. I was completely occupied with the freaky secret shrine of my boyfriend. With effort, I tear my eyes away from the hundreds of smiling Austin faces and focus on the shower curtain. There was a lump formed, and I directed my mic there.

"Thank you Miami!" he shrieks, as if he would _actually_ have the population of Miami listen to him. "Now, onto my next number: Upside Down!"

I mentally groan but step closer to record, and thank my lucky stars that I did. The publisher suddenly stops mid- belch in a word, and I catch him muttering under his breath, "The day when my reporters discover all of Austin's secrets, I'll be unstoppable! I can bribe him with his favourite foods and activities. Then, he can write me all the songs I want and we can have sleep overs together!"

I think I actually gaged on air. But, the damage was done. I stop the camera and slip my phone into my pocket, bolting out of the washroom before he can start singing again. In the hall, my mind is completely cleared and I easily maneuver through the building. When I reach the exit where I started, I wait inside the Discussion Room for someone to come and unlock the door. Only a minute later, a man does and I sneak out with him.

"Ah," I sigh when the warm breeze hits my face. I hadn't noticed how stuffy it was in there. I make it to my car and plop down on the seat, taking my first deep breath of the night. I had done it. I had snuck through Cheetah Beat Head Quarters, and recorded the head publisher. As I start my car, I realize that I was dealing with more than a deceitful publisher who only wanted information from Austin to bribe him; I was also dealing with an over-obsessed fanboy.

I shudder at the thought and drive home.

**Wow. Chapter= done! I don't know about you guys but I had a blast writing this chapter. What about you? Any funny parts? Any boring parts? Review and tell me!**

**Also, review me anything else you'd like! Who'd like to read an exclusive summary of my new story? ;) **

**K, see ya soon!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Hi guys! Whadup? There's nothing much to say this time… "So, how cool is this fork?"**

**Anyway, standard disclaimer (blah, blah, blah…)**

**Enjoy!**

Ally's POV

I topple to the cold floor and my arms flail in an attempt to catch something to hold me up. Unfortunately, I grab my blanket, and that comes down with me.

"Ugh," I groan, as my back is instantly met with the freezing floor board. Instead of getting up though, I just place my blanket underneath me and attempt to fall back asleep.

Then my alarm, the very thing that woke me up in the first place, blares again and I give up, grabbing my blanket and tossing it back on my bed before I haul myself to my feet.

Immediately, my vision swims out of focus and I stumble, holding on to my bed for support. When the spinning stops, I force my eyes open and try to blink the sleep out of them.

Last night, I had gotten home at about 4, and collapsed onto my bed without changing my clothes, taking off my socks, or shoes. Now, I could feel where my sneakers had dug into my ankles as I slept. Groaning, I reach down and kick off my shoes.

I trudge my way into the bathroom like a zombie, aware that I probably looked like one too. I felt as if I only got 25 minutes of sleep last night. I brush my teeth, and wash my face. That felt so refreshing that I rinsed my arms too. Finally, I just take a shower.

When I come out, I feel brand- new, not at all like I went on a mission until dawn the day before. I quickly apply some light makeup and twirl my hair into a messy bun. Deciding that I wanted a completely comfortable look instead of fashionable, I throw on some worn out jeans and a blue oversized sweater. Besides, I still had the second part of my plan to complete: I still had to use my video to trade with the Cheetah Beat Company.

I pull on my Converse, wondering how to continue from here. In all honesty, I never imagined that I would complete phase one of the plan, so now that I did, I had to put together my rough draft of part two.

_First, I have to contact them_ I think as I walk down the stairs into the kitchen. That might be hard, though, considering I didn't know how. I could always hide out at Austin's house and talk to them there, but Austin would not be okay with that. I stop mid- bite in my apple as I register that thought.

"Oh shoot! Austin!" I exclaim, grabbing my bag and running out of the house. To an outsider, that might've looked comical, but it was as if my mind had kicked into over drive. I suddenly remembered last night: Austin was in the middle of saying something before I just hung up on him. No doubt, he was mad now, and if I told him that I ditched him for the paparazzi, he would more or less pull his hair out.

I start my car and drive to school, thinking and planning. I would have to worry about phase two later. Right now, I had to practise wording my explanation to Austin. I had to make him understand my motive over doing this—that we could be free and happy without the paparazzi—and I had to get him to go along with me. He probably wouldn't want to talk to them, but I just needed his promise that he wouldn't end up tying me to a chair, or something.

Too quickly for my liking, I see Marino High School in the distance, the giant white building bustling with students. I weave my way into the parking lot and find a spot.

_Best case scenario _I find myself thinking, _Austin will be grateful and support my plan. _Then, I curve around and think differently. _Worst case scenario, Austin will freak out, accuse me of being untrustworthy, and we break up. _I gasp, my hand stilling on the car door handle. Wow, way to ruin the mood. My eyebrows pull together in anxiety, wondering about the second outcome. Austin wouldn't do that, I know he wouldn't. Yet, my brain is still buzzing and I find that all the determination and courage I had earlier had now abandoned me. Sluggishly, I open the door and walk out, my mind and body more tense than before, looking for a mop of blonde hair.

I end up at my locker and still no sight of him. _Maybe I'm overreacting. _I reassure myself, as I spin the dial. Austin was a good boyfriend, and amazing person. I was just imagining the worst outcomes due to my lack of sleep. Yeah, that sounds believable.

Suddenly, two strong arms snake around my waist and I'm pulled away from my locker. On instinct, I shriek and throw out my fist, connecting with something. While I was expecting a yell of pain though, I only hear familiar chuckling. Relaxing, I turn my head and glare into comforting brown eyes. Austin flashes a smile and I find my frown melting away until I'm smiling right back.

"You're strong, I'll give you that," Austin grins, tightening his grip on me. "Too bad your aim is horrible. You punched my backpack." I flush as I look to see that, in fact, there was a crease in his backpack, where my fist connected with it. Austin laughs at my red cheeks and I shove him, playfully.

"So, are you okay, Ally? You hung up in the middle of our conversation last night…" Austin asks, looking at my face as I come up with a reasonable excuse.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. I was just really tired last night." I say, dreading this part of our chat. Sooner or later, I would have to tell him…

"I'm sorry, Alls. I really didn't mean to wake you." Austin apologizes, making me feel incredibly guilty. I was the one who should be apologizing for lying and planning behind his back. But… not now. I couldn't tell him yet.

"It's okay Austin. Besides, it was worth it," I say honestly. It was worth having to run after the paparazzi into HQ's if I could hear Austin's voice before that. I only wish I had heard Austin's melodic voice _after_ the experience, so I could drown out the publisher's voice….

"What're you thinking?" Austin asks curiously, cocking his head to the side, smiling amusingly. I snap out of my thought, and smile up to him. "I was just thinking about your voice," I say without further explanation, causing Austin to quirk an eyebrow.

We break gazes for a second as I grab my books for my first couple of classes. I close my locker and we both walk down the hall, hand in hand. Every girl stops and stares as we walk by. Most are smiling at us, happy with their new OTP, but some are giving me glares and smiling seductively at Austin, still not accepting our relationship.

"So," Austin starts, not paying attention to anyone but me, making my stomach flutter. "Yesterday night, I was talking about how today, after school, we should go on a date." I look up at Austin in surprise. Sure, we had been dating for exactly 11 amazing days, and hadn't gone on our first official date; just dinners and movies at his house, walks at the park, that sort of hang out type thing, but it never occurred to me that we should, to make our relationship official in every way. I beam and nod, already excited. "What are you planning," I ask. Some weird part of me wonders, ironically, if we are going to watch a spy movie. Ha-ha.

Before Austin answers, we are at my first period class. "I'll tell you later," Austin says mysteriously, walking backwards with his eyes still locked on mine.

"Have fun waiting Ally-cat," Austin jokes, sending me a wink. I try to give him my most serious look I can conjure but, I end up blushing anyways. The things he does to me…

"Oh, just you watch. I can _totally_ wait," I call to him, sounding confident enough that I almost believe myself.

**Later…**

"Austin! When are you going to tell me?" I pounce as soon as he is on his chair. The curiosity was growing, and if I didn't find out soon, it was going to eat me up. It was bad enough that I couldn't seem to get any time with him today, but now he wasn't even talking. Austin glances at me, as he takes out his music notebook. I was about to hear it from him, but I didn't care; I just really wanted to _know_.

"Yes Ally, I see that you _totally_ could wait," Austin smirks, grabbing his pencil, dragging the conversation out. I huff, crossing my arms. "I know, I have the patience of a fly, but you've made me wait the whole day! You can't expect to tell me that we're going on our first date and not tell me where." Austin looks at me and there's a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What if I want it to be a surprise?" Austin questions innocently, making me scoff, and shove him lightly. "I doubt that. Maybe…," I start, trying a different approach. "Maybe you haven't come up with an idea yet, and you're just stalling," I say, sounding as if I knew that all along. Austin's eyes widen. "What! No! I'll have you know, I'm not that type of person. In fact, I already have it all planned. We're going to—," Austin says, just as the bell rings and Mrs. Suzy walks in, interrupting my almost victorious moment.

"Class!" she calls out, drawing all of our attention. In my peripheral vision, I see Austin half glower at me, half flushed at his close call. "I hope you've all had a good weekend! Now remember, that assignment where you had to create and perform a song with your partner, it is due in two days. I hope you've all finished," she says, even though she hears half of the rooms' groans. "For this period, you may practise your song with any of the instruments or, for those of you who haven't finished yet, I suggest you get to work!" Mrs. Suzy claps her hands and everyone sets off.

Austin's POV (finally, right?)

I watch as everyone moves to occupy an instrument, and the others who haven't finished yet go and talk frantically to their partners. After a second, I decide that I've teased her enough and I turn to look at Ally, who, as expected, is already looking at me with her big doe eyes. _Damn_. I bite the inside of my lip, refraining from blurting out what she wanted to know right now. It was hard though, when all I wanted was to make Ally happy. _She'll know soon enough _I remind myself.

I laugh lightly and throw my arm across Ally's shoulders. "Don't worry Alls, you won't regret waiting. This is gonna be…," I trail off mysteriously, grinning when Ally narrows her eyes at me. I watch as she dramatically takes a few deep breaths, then, in a business like tone, "Okay, Austin, fine, I'll wait. But, don't think I'm happy about it." She pouts and absentmindedly, I lift up my hand and trace her lips, perfect and plump. Ally blushes and swats my hand away.

"So, our song," she starts, suddenly bringing me back to reality. We were sitting in the music room, just staring at each other while everyone else was working. "We already finished it, right? But I was thinking, since you can play the guitar, we should add that in. It'll be simple, just change the key a little." Ally explains all of this while my head is nodding in agreement. Just talking with her about music, reminds me of how amazing she is at it, and how passionate she feels. Not to mention, had we never worked together, I wouldn't be able to write songs and wouldn't have rediscovered my love of music. Man, things sure have changed.

"Okay," I smile, jumping up. I run to the stands of guitar's, grab one, and head back to Ally, already seeing her with her songbook opened. "Let's do this," I say, strumming a wild tune with my fingers.

Ally's POV

"Austin, this is amazing!" I exclaim, as his fingers fly across the final chords. His brows were pulled together in concentration, but his lips were set in an exhilarated smile. Watching him right now, he just looked so _Austin_.Not the popular boy, not the famous pop star, but just himself; carefree and happy. Without realizing it, I lean forward and wrap my arms around him, immediately in cased with warmth. Surprised, Austin stops strumming and hugs me back.

The bell rings, ending this peaceful period, and I draw back. The face I see when I do is Austin's suspiciously cheery one. He quickly lets go and in a second, he has the guitar back on the stand and is facing me again, jittery with excitement.

"Okay Ally, I'll come pick you up tonight at 6 o'clock. I just have to go get ready!" he practically _squeals_, as he starts for the door. Then, realizing what he just said, stops, and says in a more masculine voice, "I mean, I have to go do some things. Bye!"

I watch as Austin darts through the door, and I yell "See you at 6!" Silence greets me and I know that he's already gone. Rolling my eyes, I grab my books, _and_ Austin's that he forgot to take and walk out of the room, wondering what that crazy boy was planning…

**Guys, I would **_**really, really**_** appreciate it if you would tell me what you think of my story. I don't know what happened but my chapters are starting to get longer. This one is almost 2500 words! I'm wondering if you guys find my story super boring now. I don't mind the truth, it'll help me make this story better… even if there are only a couple chapters left…**

**Anyways, thanks for being awesome! **

**Byeeee!**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor profit from the Disney Channel show Austin &amp; Ally. I merely use them as characters in my story. Believe me, if I owned the show, it wouldn't be on Disney Channel ;)**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

"So… how cool is this fork?" Austin awkwardly says, raising a stainless steel one to show me. His face portrayed utter uncomfortableness and he was grimacing. After slowly setting the fork down, Austin looks at me, his face still looking like he wanted _out_.

A beat passes and we both burst out laughing. I actually shed tears as I double over. My stomach is heaving, trying to control my breakdown, and a quick glance at Austin shows he is looking exactly the same. It takes a while for us to calm down, and once we have, I wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Wow," I say, looking at Austin incredulously. "Was your date really that awkward?" (**Did I get ya?**) Austin nods his head vigorously. "She was one of those girls, I think, who was secretly obsessed with me. She tried not to show it to scare me off, but for the whole evening, she couldn't stop staring at me. I tried making conversation but she just wouldn't talk. I think I even saw her slip my fork into her purse!"

"Well, I'm not taking your cutlery. That's just gross," I say, imagining why I would even need his fork. It's not like I have a DNA cloning machine…

"I know you won't. That's the reason this date is so amazing: you are so amazing, the first girl who is not obsessed with me or trying to get something from me. At least I don't think so. I'll have to go check my closet later," Austin jokes the last part, and after I giggle lightly at that, I find myself grateful. How was it possible that this was really happening right now? Never had I thought I would find myself in this position: Austin and I on a date. It seemed like such a long eon ago when I despised him, when I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Now, somehow, we are together, and everything feels perfect. Austin seems to be thinking the same thing, and he reached across the table to gently grab my hand. I blush as tingles shoot up my arm and I raise my eyes to see Austin staring at me intently.

I cock my eyebrow, "What are you looking at?" Austin shakes his head, as if I snapped him out of his trance. "Nothing…just, you're so beautiful Alls." My eyes widen at his straightforwardness, and I duck my head. "Well, you're very handsome too," I say, trying to gain back some control. Austin grins and looks at me jokingly. "And?" he prompts.

I roll my eyes, "You're _amazingly _talented."

"And?" I bite my lip, not knowing the outcome of this one.

"You're incredibly sexy," I whisper, seeing Austin's eyes darken for a second. He squeezes my hand tighter and I swear, the way we were looking at each other, it was as if we were the only two people in the world. Suddenly, a waitress comes up and interrupts our moment. She was a tall, blonde haired, gorgeous looking girl. She instantly made me feel small and flawed in comparison. The way she was ogling Austin didn't help either. Even though he had a beanie and fake glasses on, anyone could still tell how insanely hot he was. Unfortunately, this included the Barbie waitress too.

"Good evening, my name is Piper, and I will be your server. What can I get you?" I notice the way she is only talking to Austin and her less-than-subtle eyelash batting isn't going unnoticed either. _Nice_. Austin wasn't looking at her at all, though. He was solely focused on me, which made my heart feel like it was burning—from happiness.

"Ally, what would you like?" Austin asks me, ignoring the blonde, Piper, completely. I quickly scan through the menu and decide on the pasta. I look up, and surprise, surprise, Piper was still checking Austin out, probably undressing him with her eyes.

I clear my throat dramatically, finally gaining her attention. "I'll have the "Alfredo in Meat Sauce" _please_," I stress out the word, my patience running thin as Piper leans her hands on the table to write my order, making her cleavage practically spill out the front of her shirt. Just before I finally snap and pour my water on her head, Austin pipes up, saving her from near humiliation.

"And I'll also have what my _girlfriend_ is having. Thanks," he says, emphasizing more than I had. I watch as she quickly stands up, just realizing what was in plain sight: Austin and I holding hands, and she shoots me a death glare before leaving our table. When she's out of sight, I sigh in satisfaction, also in happiness at my loyal boyfriend. Speaking of him, Austin is smirking at me, one of his eyebrows raised.

"You were jealous," he simply states, looking at me like I was transparent and he knew all my secrets. I pull my hand back and cross my arms.

"Whaaat? No I wasn't," I try to deny, but I already feel a blush creep onto my cheeks. After a minute of attempting to cover it up, I just huff and throw my arms in the air, which Austin finds sooooo funny.

"Fine! I was jealous, okay!" I exclaim, glowering at Austin while he chuckled to himself. "But I had reason to be," I quietly mumble. Unfortunately, he heard me and his laughing stopped short. Instead, it was replaced by a frown and questioning eyes.

"What? Piper is a gorgeous blonde, I can't compete with that," I sigh, feeling dejected just thinking about it. A second passes and suddenly, tingles ignite on the left side of my body. I look up in surprise to see that Austin had scooted his chair next to mine and had his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Ally, listen to me. Don't ever think that way, okay? Piper, the girls from our school, none of them compare to you. You are beautiful, kind, talented, sexy," Austin playfully nudges my side, "and there's no competition. You are all that matters to me." Tears prickle my eyes at Austin's words. _Beautiful, kind, talented, and sexy._ I had no doubt that he meant every word he said, and it fills my stomach with wild butterflies. How had I ever thought otherwise? Austin was _mine _and I was his; we were together, and some random girl wasn't going to change that. I twist slightly so that I am facing Austin.

"Thank you Austin, so much," I whisper, in the process of wrapping my arms around his neck. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." I lean in until we are a mere breath away, not caring that we were currently sitting in a fancy restaurant, probably getting disapproving stares from adults, and then we kiss.

Immediately, fire burns my lip in a pleasant sensation as I feel Austin's mouth close over mine, his sweet breath washing over me, dulling my senses. He gently bites my lip, smirking as I softly moan, and allow him entrance. We fight for dominance until I realize it's a failed attempt and he takes over, deepening the kiss even more. All of a sudden, the sound of glass clattering interrupts us and we pull away, both trying to calm our breathing. There stood Piper, arms crossed, our plates dropped angrily on the table with pasta falling off the side. I couldn't care less, though. Piper was no threat to me, and we just sat there until she spoke.

"Excuse me," she fumed, obviously taken aback, either from our kiss or she was still reeling from getting rejected by Austin. Either way, she was _mad. _"I'll have you know, this is a public restaurant, and PDA's of that sort are rude and will not be tolerated here." She tried to sound professional, really, but I could hear all the jealousy and irritation in her voice as she spoke.

"Also—," She started, before Austin cleared his throat and interrupted. "I'm so sorry," he apologized, not sounding apologetic at all. He was still flushed and smiling goofily from our kiss. "I guess we'll just take our food to go, please," he said, and he even lifted both of the plates to give back to Piper. Her eyes bulged out at this action and she grabbed the plates and whirled away.

"Ally?" Austin asks, when she is gone again, looking at me childishly, as if something funny had just happened. "Are you hungry? Like _really_ hungry?" In all honesty, I had had a bite to eat before Austin came to pick me up, just in case something happened. I shake my head at him, wondering what Austin was thinking. He breaks into a smile. "Good, I'm not that hungry either," he smiles as he fishes out a whole wad of money and throws it on the table. Before I can question him, Austin grabs my hand and whisks me out of my chair and towards the door. As we pass the kitchen, I have the pleasure of seeing Piper stare at us incredulously, her jaw wide open. I just smile and wave, probably looking as surprised as she was, okay, and maybe also a little smug, too.

"Whoa!" I let out a gasp as we break through the doors and out onto the warm Miami street. Austin, his hand still holding mine, is tugging me along the street. We walk through the parking lot to his car, but then, Austin pulls me past it and up onto the sidewalk.

"Austin, where are we going?" I wonder. The restaurant was now behind us, obscured by trees, and I was now being led through a maze of leaves and bushes. He doesn't answer me, but a minute later, the bushes disappear and I see something amazing in front of me.

"A park!" I exclaim like a child, letting go of Austin's hand and running to the multi-coloured structure. Luckily, the grounds were deserted, as I might've scared off the children. I laugh as I jump onto the swing, hearing the metal groan with my weight.

"Wow, Ally," Austin breathes as he comes up behind me, breaking into a smile. "I'm glad you like this place. This is actually, sort of, my park," he says, looking as if lost in happy memories. I blink and stare more closely at the park, seeing the long slides, teeter- totters, and monkey bars. A part of me could very much see a young, energetic Austin running around and having fun here.

"I would always come here when I was younger," Austin says, moving to sit on the swing next to mine, his eyes still trained on the view in front of him. "This was my "man cave" and I would always come here to just hang, or think, or…," Austin trails off, frowning ever so slightly. "…To get away from the bullies." Austin shakes his head, quickly moving on. "I would also come here to play my music all the time. Just me, jamming out with my guitar. It was peaceful…" Austin sighs in content and finally turns to face me, a smile on his face.

"Aw, Austin, thank you for showing me this place," I say, delighted that he trusts me enough to reveal his safe haven. "But, do you come here anymore?"

"No, this is my first time back since I was 10. I wanted to come, but, between the paparazzi and screaming fans, I didn't want anyone to follow me and find out about this place. But, _you_ can come here any time you want. I trust you with this place." I beam wide and get up to hug Austin. He is seriously so sweet. But, I can't help but replay three words in my head. _I trust you. I trust you. I trust you._ Austin trusts me, yet I'm keeping a huge secret from him. I bite my lip, debating on what to do. If I tell him now, our date would be over, and I know that's selfish, but I've been playing it out this long, it wouldn't hurt to keep in it for a few more hours, right? I nod and untangle myself from our embrace. I _would_ tell Austin. I would tell him _after_ our date.

"So," I say, looking up into his warm eyes, "Race you to the teeter- totter!" and I take off, hearing Austin's laugh from behind me.

**Austin and Ally's date—Part 1. I really, really wanted to fit their date all into one chapter, but, in the end, I was rushing to update my story, so I stopped it here. Hope y'all enjoyed it anyways! **

**So, about my story, in general, there are about 3 more chapters. I don't want to go over 30, and I don't think this story will. But, I **_**am**_** hoping I can get up to 200 reviews before the last chapter. Let's see what happens.**

**Thanks!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 28- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Austin and Ally's date—Part 2! Well, part of the story is their date. The other part…**

**Anyways, hi guys! You know what this is? This is the 28****th**** chapter, meaning only one or two more to go… I'm so sad to see this story winding down; even though it's only my second, I put so much hard work and dedication into it. I hope you guys have enjoyed this ride; it's soon coming to a stop.**

**Enjoy!**

Austin's POV

After we hung around at the park, just goofing off, and embracing our inner children, I took Ally to one of my favourite restaurants: IHOP, because, if you didn't already know, I love pancakes! Luckily, there were no more female interrupters, and I just got to talk and eat with Ally. She told me about her new songs she was working on, and I still can't wrap my mind around how talented she is. Seriously, Ally deserves a record deal! After a while, the sun was finally setting, painting the sky with pink and orange streaks. I smile, _perfect._

I pay for the bill, and grab Ally's hand, pulling her out of the restaurant and start walking down the path, a special place in mind.

"Now where are we going, Austin," Ally laughs lightly, moving a strand of hair away from her eye. I swear, she is gorgeous, even without trying. As if she can read my thoughts, Ally blushes and looks ahead, studying the swaying leaves in the wind.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." Ally and I walk in comfortable silence for a few minutes until a familiar sound is heard. Ally cocks her eyebrow.

"Wait… is that the ocean?" Ally asks, looking at me in surprise. I smile and we walk a little until I see the cliff of rocks up ahead. It was such a cool place, with large, granite stones, and long strands of grass flying in the wind. Down below, the water was clear and reflecting the setting sun, making the scene perfect. I hear Ally faintly gasp as we reach the rocks.

"Wow, this place is beautiful, Austin," Ally sighs, enjoying the view. We stand there, just spending peaceful time together, until the sun finally sets, all traces of light leaving the sky. Sometime while we're watching the few stars glittering with the moon, I feel warmth as Ally grabs my hand. The moon is bright enough that I can make out Ally's face as she smiles and starts leaning forward. I do too, and then we kiss, a gentle and passionate kiss. Well, until Ally grinds herself into me. I groan, my tongue swiping across Ally's plump lips, asking for entrance. She allows it and the kiss quickly heats up. I grab tightly onto Ally's waist, pulling her closer, and she combs her fingers through my hair, making me shiver. Unfortunately, the lack of oxygen makes us pull away too soon for my liking. We both calm our breathing, listening to each other's heart beats, until Ally untangles her fingers from my hair.

"It's late. We should go now," she whispers, smiling her dazzling smile. I comply and we both walk, hand in hand, back to my car.

**Later…**

I park my car in the private parking spot a block away from my house, because the last thing I needed was the paparazzi snooping around my car. I swiftly get out and go open Ally's door before she can do it herself, expecting a thank you or "you're such a gentlemen," but instead, Ally rolls her eyes and says, "I can open the door myself, Austin." Yep, this girl sure was something. We head back to my house, talking along the way.

"Thanks for the date, Austin. It was amazing," Ally says, grinning at me, making the whole keeping it a secret thing worth it.

"I'm glad you liked it. I thought it was great too, but that's probably just because I had great company," I say, nudging Ally playfully. She laughs and gives me a look, "Are you referring to yourself?" Now it was my turn to chuckle, combing my hair with my hand. "Well, I am great company," I say cockily, feeling the words slide uneasily off my tongue. How long had it been since I got rid of my old self? It felt like that person only existed in my mind, since I feel so comfortable with how I am now.

"I am too," Ally says, "I didn't even try to take your fork." At that point, I stop walking and laugh until my stomach hurts. Ally joins in too, both of us waking up the neighbourhood with our inside joke.

Suddenly, a faint sound comes from around the street corner, and my laughing mood completely vanishes. I pale, feeling like my brain just did a 360. Ally hears it too, and acting quick and calmly, she pulls me behind a large bush, concealing us from everything except each other. I sit down on the grass and watch as Ally silently peers over the bush, ducking her head and then looking around the corner. She does it automatically, as if she had practise, which is weird. She finishes her assessment and sits down next to me.

"So, the paparazzi are over there… about five of them. I guess… they heard us," Ally's voice betrays her confident movements. She sounded worried about something.

"Alls, what's wrong?" I study her, seeing how she seems deep in thought, biting her lip. I decide not to push her and focus on the clicking sounds on the other side of the bush. Seriously, what are they even taking pictures of? Fire extinguishers? I feel so powerless, just sitting here, not brave enough to confront the paparazzi. It's like a chain keeping me grounded. No matter how hard I try to fight it, my memories from my childhood are stronger, keeping me from breaking the bond. A sudden tap on my shoulder startles me back to reality, and my eyes settle on Ally. _Sheepish_ is the only word to describe how Ally is looking. Maybe also a bit guilty, as if she had done something wrong.

"Austin, there's something I have to tell you…"

Ally's POV

_Stupid. Selfish. Untrustworthy. _I had to wait! I could've told him earlier, but instead, I had waited! Now, look where we were: hiding behind a bush, with Austin feeling scared, but still putting me first. He was an amazing person, and I was, well… not. I take a deep breath, hoping that Austin takes this well.

"Austin, there's something I have to tell you…" I say, and begin telling him about how I had created my plan a while ago and put it into action yesterday, going on to describe about the publisher and how I was going to blackmail the reporters. When I am finished, I suck in a breath and hold it, waiting for Austin's reaction.

And it was exactly what I feared.

"Ally!" he gasps, leaning backwards. Hurt was evident on his face, with cold shades pulled over his eyes. "I can't believe you would go behind my back, especially when you know how the paparazzi are!" I open my mouth to protest, wanting to tell him how I did it for him, for _us_, but no words come out.

"You completely _lied_ to me too. What relationship do we have if there's no trust? And, you _knew_ how I didn't want you anywhere near them! I was trying to protect you, Ally! But, you just go and do whatever you want!" Austin combs his fingers through his hair, avoiding eye contact with me. I know Austin, and I know that he is just letting his anger with the paparazzi out on me, but I can't help but feel involuntary tears prickle my eyes. I hurriedly wipe them away and look at Austin again. By now, he has calmed down, but anyone could read his expression. Hurt, anger, and betrayal.

"Look, I'm going to go… think some things through," Austin mutters, rising from his hideout, and revealing himself to the paparazzi. In only a second, they spot him, and I hear them yelling his name. Austin just gives me one last look before running away, and back to his house. When all is silent, then do I start my waterfall of tears, not caring about how I look or if someone notices me. I cry, and cry, occasionally whispering Austin's name. He won't stay mad forever, he can't. Eventually, he'll realize my motive for doing this: to give him his freedom, and so we can both be happy.

My head snaps up. My plan; it had to be completed. Even if Austin will never forgive me, I have to let him know that he didn't make a mistake with me, that I'm not a bad person, and that I care about him deeply. I slowly stand up, and start running down the street to Austin's house. My heart was pounding, and adrenaline rushed through my veins, but, in a pleasant way. It said, "I can do this." I skid to a stop and cautiously move closer to the shadows when I see the looming house. On the front yard, more than a dozen Cheetah Beat reports were crowding around, hyper with the surprise of seeing Austin Moon caught elsewhere besides his house. Even the head publisher was here, and I would know. I recognize his fancy tan coloured shoes that he's wearing. They were the exact same pair placed besides the bathtub. I shudder and focus on the group again. They probably thought it was some new stunt and they would finally get something juicy out of him. _Oh, they'll get something, alright_ I think, approaching the large group. I pull out my phone, ready with the video, and as swift as the wind, I maneuver through the people and find myself on the porch.

"HEY!" I shout, gaining everyone's attention. Immediately, the flashes set off and I'm blinded. How do celebrities deal with this all the time? I wave my arms wide, and shout again, "STOP!" Surprisingly, most of them listen; except for a select few at which I shoot death glares at.

"Who are you?" a short, blond lady asks, and all the microphones are suddenly up in my face. I take a deep breath, gathering all my courage.

"I am Austin Moon's… friend," I start. Better safe than sorry. If Austin really had broken up with me, better use "friend" in front of all these guys. "And I am here today because I care about him a lot, and want you all to leave him alone." All around me, laughter erupts from all the reporters, even the publisher, who is drawing closer, to take a better look.

"Ya, right sweetie," an obnoxious sounding guy says. "Austin Moon is one of the biggest teen stars today. We're not gonna stop what we're doing just because his _friend_ says so." Again with the snickers.

"Well, then, I guess I'll just have to make you reconsider." I point to the publisher. "You, come here," I command, as if I'm a ruler, not just some girl bossing this adult around. He steps forward and hesitantly walks up to me. "Austin Moon is one of the sweetest, most amazing, and talented guys I have ever met, and does not deserve to be treated this way by all of you. I don't know what your sick game is, but I'm telling you, if you mess with Austin, you _will_ regret it," I threaten powerfully, and amazingly, my words are finally getting to this lot. They start shifting uncomfortably at my words.

"W-well, what can you possible do to us?" a man asks, raising his chin, even with his stuttering voice, in an attempt at bravery. I just laugh, and hold my phone. "I'll have you know, a little birdie has sent me a unique video," I say. I was on a roll, and the last thing I wanted was to prove that I had snuck into their headquarters. "And this video, well, what do you think of it?" I ask, showing it to the publisher. I play it only loud enough for him to hear, and I watch as his face pales as he realizes that I had caught him saying that he was basically using all of the company's money just for his own purposes to bribe Austin, and that he was the hugest, and most obsessive Austin Moon fan. The video finishes and he gasps. "H-how did you g-get that?" he splutters in rage. I merely shrug, and turn back to face the group, who were all staring in shock at the high authority of their business, blushing as red as a tomato. They didn't know what was in the video, but they got the gist of it: something bad.

"As you can see, it doesn't seem like your head publisher would want this video leaking out," I shake my phone for emphasis, "but it may or may not get sent to every magazine and gossip company in Miami…"

"No!" the publisher shrieks, getting up into my face. "You will not send that video! And, what's stopping me from calling the police on you right now?" a chorus of "Yeah's!" ring through the air as the reporters are backing up the idea, and even getting out their phones. Luckily, I planned for this.

"Go ahead," I say, stunning them for a moment. "I would actually _love_ to hear what they think of Cheetah Beat Inc. _illegally_ trespassing on Austin Moon's _private_ property _every single day_." Finally, since I arrived, there was no sound coming from anyone. All the reporters and the publisher were shocked silent. Speaking of the publisher, I could practically see his gears turning. He was debating on what to do, but in the end, his pride won out. He throws his arms up in the air, defeated.

"Fine! As long as that video is deleted permanently, we will do whatever you say." I smile slightly, professionally, but in my mind, I was happy dancing like crazy!

"What I want is for Cheetah Beat to forever stop stalking Austin wherever he goes. You will _not_ step foot here ever again, or purposely chase after him. And, you will stop posting negative stuff and rumors about him. Anything you say in your magazines will be good things… but, nothing fake, like him saving the President. Good and true things, or nothing at all, got it?" It's almost comical how fast they all nod their heads and swear to my proposition. I smile wide. _Finally._

They bring me their Austin Moon contract, and I hand my phone over to the publisher. He deletes the video while I rip the contract in half and put it in my purse. In the end, everyone is more or less happy. I am completely content, smiling and glad that this is all over; the publisher is probably relieved, and the reporters are hopefully going to hold true to their word. This reminds me…

"One more thing," I call to them as they are piling back to their vans. "I hope you stick to your promise, because if you mess with Austin, you _will_ regret it," I quote my earlier words, and they all know that I certainly mean business. With quick nods and scared faces, they all get into their cars and drive away. When every single car is out of sight, I finally let loose a cheer, and pat myself on the back. I can't believe I actually pulled that off! Austin is now free of the paparazzi, and more importantly, he really couldn't be mad at me anymore, right? I turn around, planning to ring his doorbell to tell him the good news, when suddenly, a pair of lips crash onto mine, and I find myself looking into warm, and familiar brown eyes.

"Austin!" I gasp, my fingers automatically moving to grab his hair. He squeezes my hips and smiles into our kiss. This kiss, it was filled with undeniable lust and want, intoxicating us both. It translated unspoken words, and fueled the fires deep in both of us.

"Alls," he groans when we separate for air. "I am so sorry for everything. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and lashed out at you like that," he apologizes, looking my deep in the eyes. "Thank you, too," he says, making me raise an eyebrow. "I heard everything with you and the paparazzi. I was listening from the window," Austin confesses, breaking into a wide grin. "You are the most incredible girlfriend anyone could ever ask for," he continues, making my heart beat rapidly and out of control. Austin tries to speak again, but I just kiss him and we make our way inside his house, where we kiss, talk, and eventually fall asleep in each other's arms.

**Wow, almost 3 thousand words! This is probably the most tiresome chapter I've had to write. I hope it reached all of your standards since a bunch of you were waiting for this chapter to see how Austin would act and everything…Anyway, please, please, please review and tell me what you think! I would really like this story to get to 200 reviews before the end, if that's not too much to ask.**

**Okay, that's it! See ya next time!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 29- **She Doesn't Fall**

**Hi guys! So this story might not reach 200 review, like I had wanted, but that's okay. As long as I hear some of your thoughts.**

**Anyway, THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! I can't believe this story has gone so far… But seriously guys, can you just pat yourselves on the back? You are the reason I continued with this story. I loved your reviews and how well you motivated me. **

**Also, PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!**

**Enjoy!**

Austin's POV

It has been one full day since Ally and my date. One full day since I found out her plan against the paparazzi, and one full day since I got to live my life again. Every moment I get, I go outside and take a walk to nowhere, just basking in the fact that I would never find a reporter hiding behind a tree ever again. Occasionally, I would see them, all dressed in gear, camera slung across their necks, but they would be at a normal, professional distance. I could go wherever I wanted now, without the fear of being caught in a bad situation like my parents—and it was all because of Ally Dawson. She was even in the newest issue of Cheetah Beat! I had found it on my way to school yesterday. The cover was of me, but instead of some fake or rumoured headline across the front, it was just a simple "Austin Moon's Miami Adventure" with pictures of me surfing, and skateboarding around the city. But, what caught my attention was the small quote on page 13. "Austin Moon is one of the sweetest, most amazing, and talented guys I have ever met." This was quoted directly from her, and around the quote were fancy hearts and a title "Auslly." I grin and turn to look at the brunette who was smiling while writing in her songbook. Her eyes were shining with inspiration, her lips curved up into a smile while she sung some new lyrics under her breath. She seemed completely normal for a girl who singlehandedly negotiated with Cheetah Beat to give me back my privacy and freedom. No one mentioned what happened that night, but I will _never_ forget it. Ally had come into my life, and changed it for the better. She made me a good person, taught me how to love music again, and she took matters into her own hands when I refused to, and helped me with the paparazzi. Now, it was my turn to help her.

When we were lying together, drifting to sleep after all the events of that day, I suddenly remembered a conversation we had, where we were confessing to each other about our own lives. I had told her about how I had gotten my big break with Starr Records, whereas Ally let her musical dream slip into the background, since she was convinced there was no chance. _Well, that's before you met Austin Moon_ I think to myself with a smile. Ally suddenly looks over, her songbook now in her bag. She grabs my hand, quickly filling me with warmth.

"Are you ready?" she asks, pointing her chin towards the stage. Today was the day where the entire music class would perform their songs with their partners. Mrs. Suzy moved all of us to the auditorium for a more performance-type feel. She even got some extra students to help with the spotlights. Right now, the pair before us had just finished, and the vivid red and white lights faded out to a standard gold. Mrs. Suzy turns to us and motions for us to head up onto the stage. Ally squeezes my hand firmly before letting go and getting up on stage. I grab my guitar and follow behind her, but before I walk up the stairs, I turn around and search the crowd. Apart from the students, there was a tall adult sitting on a chair, and doing something with his phone. He looks up when he feels my gaze and gives me a nod. _Yes! He showed up_ I mentally exclaim. I would have to thank Jimmy for setting this up for me later. I run up onto the stage and set my guitar up. Within seconds, we are both ready to go, and the crowd silences, anxiously waiting to hear what Pop star Austin Moon and brilliant Honors student Ally Dawson has come up with.

"Hey everybody," Ally greets with a bright smile. "This song is called You Can Come to Me! We hope you'll all enjoy!" The spotlights set off, filling our vision with a soft, pink glow. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the man slide his phone into his pocket and lean up straighter. Ally starts playing the piano, the melodic sound bouncing nicely off the walls. At my cue, I add in the strum of my guitar, creating a perfect balance of sound.

We both lock gazes for a second before we start singing:

(Ally/ **Austin**/ _Both_)

When you're on your own,

Drowning alone,

And you need a rope that can pull you in,

Someone will throw it…

I smile as I watch everyone's reaction to Ally's voice. Obviously, they never knew she was this talented. Then, it was my turn.

**And when you're afraid,**

**That you're gonna break,**

**And you need a way to feel strong again,**

**Someone will know it…**

Ally and I sing together, intertwining our voices, and creating a beautiful sound. But, I sing a little quieter than rehearsed, wanting everyone to hear Ally's voice.

_And even when it hurts the most,_

_Try to have a little hope,_

'_Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't,_

_When you don't_

_If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder,_

_If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile,_

_If you wanna fly, I will be your sky,_

_Anything you need, that's what I'll be…_

At this point, I had slowly stopped singing altogether, hoping that Mrs. Suzy wouldn't interrupt us and scold me for not participating. A quick look at her though, and at everyone else, I could see that no one was paying any attention to me. Even the man had his full attention on the brunette. I had stepped back, becoming a mere background instrumentalist. Only Ally, being the observant and caring girl that she was, noticed and she turned her head during the beat break to look at me, a question in her eyes. I just smile and encourage her to keep going.

If you wanna climb, I'll be your ladder,

If you wanna run, I'll be your road,

If you want a friend,

Doesn't matter when,

Anything you need, that's what I'll be,

You Can Come To Me,

You Can Come To Me, Yeah.

The piano trails on another second, and then fades out. All of a sudden, deafening screams and cheers erupt in the auditorium. Clearly, everyone had enjoyed our performance, but there was a specific person I wanted the opinion from…

"Austin, that was incredible!" Ally screams over the noise, giving me a hug, before pulling back and smiling, wide and happy. The bell rings, then, and everyone slowly files out, leaving Ally and I alone, except, there was also the man, who was walking up the stairs towards us. He approaches and shakes my hand first, before turning to Ally. She just stands there, confused and curious.

"Ally Dawson, I was very impressed by your performance. I had already read the song, but seeing you perform live was amazing. Not very many people have such exceptional talent." Ally still stands there, shocked, and the man looks at me pointedly. "Did you tell her yet?" he asks me. I shake my head and tell him that it was meant to be a surprise.

"Well, then, let me get right to the point: Ally Dawson, I am from Ramone Records, and I would like to make a record deal with you."

I think Ally fainted with her eyes open because she stood still, looking at Ronnie Ramone for an unmeasurably long time. Finally, she snapped out of it.

"Wait, what? How—? Are you _serious_?" Ally gasps, staring back and forth between Ronnie and I. Her eyes were dancing, and she was starting to smile.

"Very serious. I had gotten a call saying that Austin Moon had a fresh and talented young artist that I should go check out. I even got a copy of your song, and after reading it, I decided that you were probably someone worth giving a chance to, and I'm right. So, what do you say? Do you want to make a record with us?" Ally turns to me, awestruck.

"Austin, you did this?" she whispers, on the edge of tears. I nod, and hug her on the side. "You deserve this, Ally. You are the most talented person I know. Besides, this is me thanking you for all you've done for me, too. So, what's your answer?" Ally takes in a deep breath. We're close enough that I can read her like a book. I know that Ally is beyond grateful for this and that she has no words powerful enough to thank me right now. I can also see it in the sparkle of her eyes, and the huge grin on her lips: she has an answer.

"Yes, I would _love_ to. Thank you so much!" Ally exclaims, shaking Ronnie's hand. He smiles and gives her his card.

"We'll set up a meeting later on to sort out the details. Ramone Records will be happy to have you," and with that, he walks away and out the door, officially leaving Ally and I alone.

Then, just like last night, Ally tackles me with a kiss. It takes me a second to register this, and then my hands are on her waist, and hers are combing through my hair, making me shiver. I would never get enough of this: the feeling of Ally's body pressed tight against mine, the smell of her perfume…_her_. Ally smiles into the kiss, as if she knows what I'm thinking, and wraps her arms tighter around me. When we finally break apart for air, her arms are still around me and we just stand there in an embrace, for an immeasurably long time.

"Thank you, Austin, for everything. This is a dream come true," Ally says into my neck, her warm breath washing over me.

"You know I would do anything for you," I reply, resting my head on Ally's soft cushion of hair. We only stay like that for a few seconds longer before our two friends come barging through the doors.

"Oh my gosh, Ally! I'm so proud of you!" Trish squeals, coming up the stairs to the stage. Her face was glowing with pride and she quickly comes and gives Ally a hug. Ally laughs and hugs her back. "How did you know?" she asks.

"Word travels fast. The whole school is buzzing about this right now!"

"Congrats Ally!" Dez says, joining the circle. "We always knew this day would come."

"It's all thanks to Austin, though. He set this up," she says, and then I'm dragged into the hug too, choruses of "Thanks, man" and "He's a keeper" filling my ears. I grin, glad that everyone was so happy.

"Ooh! We have to go tell your parents!" Trish says, jumping with excitement. The enthusiasm was oozing down the walls and blanketing the air, making us all cheer and dance. Trish is the first one to calm down enough to drag us out of the school, but when we reached Sonic Boom, it happened all over again.

"Honey, I am so proud of you! This is great!" he says to his daughter, and we all have a group hug for the second time. Then, in the next hour or so, Ally is on the phone with her mother, squealing and talking about everything that has happened. I catch my name a couple times, which makes me slightly worried, until Ally shoots me a smile.

We stay in the music store for a while before Mr. Dawson gives us the boot—in a nice way.

"Okay kids, as much as I enjoy the company, you guys should go celebrate without an adult to "harsh your mellow." Go to one of your houses and have a great night. I want Ally to have fun with her friend's tonight." Just then, Ally walks up to us, still smiling. It would be awhile until she calmed down. I remember when I got signed; I couldn't sleep for 3 days.

"Ally," Mr. Dawson says, "You don't have to work tonight's shift. Go out with your friend's." Ally's smile wavers slightly. "Really, Dad? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You work too hard, honey. Besides, business will be low tonight. The only thing I'll be doing is making up posters to advertise "Sonic Boom as the proud hangout of Ramone Records new artist Ally Dawson!"

"Okay, thanks Dad!" Ally gives her dad a quick hug before we leave the store. The last word's we hear from Mr. Dawson is "Maybe that title is too long…"

The four of us stand outside in the warm air, deciding on where to go.

"I think we should go watch a movie!" Trish says, telling us about this hunk of beef in this new movie that we would _all_ enjoy. Ally giggles, while Dez and I share a '_really?' _look.

"What about dinner at that fancy restaurant down town? Uh… The Pasta Palace!" Dez suggests. This time, Ally and I wince, and share a look close to something like "Oh, no _way!_" I didn't really want to ruin this night by seeing Piper at that restaurant again. That was not even an option. I raise my arms, thinking of a solution.

"Okay, how about we just go to my house and watch a movie that we _all_ like, and have an indoor picnic. It'll be cool!" I say, a grin appearing on my face. It would just be a relaxing night, yet fun and entertaining. Not only was it a great congratulatory celebration, in a down casted way, it was also an excuse to spend a night together with all my friends, something that hasn't happened in a while. They all nod, accepting the idea.

"Alright, then, it's settled," Ally clasps her hands together, "Austin and Dez, you guys go and get a movie, and Trish and I will go out to buy some food for the picnic." We all nod, and I kiss Ally on the cheek before we split up and walk down the street.

**Later…**

We meet at my house about an hour later, all of us carrying bags. I fish out my keys and open the door, gesturing for everyone to go in. On instinct, I sweep a glance at the front lawn, expecting the paparazzi to come flying out of their vans, and start blinding me with their cameras. I guess I haven't _completely_ wrapped my head around all of this yet. I shut the door and meet my friends in the living room, surprised to already see most things set up.

The room was dimmed for the movie, but I could still see everything clearly. On the floor, a thick blue blanket stretched across the floor, on it an assortment of foods: sandwiches, fruits, cookies, a jar of pickles (of course), and the pancake griddle from the kitchen. Beside it was pancake mix and syrup.

"Pancakes!" I shout, running over to the blanket, and turning on the griddle. Behind me, Ally sighs.

"Even as Austin's girlfriend, pancakes still hold the number one place in his heart," Ally says. I turn around to see her smirking at me, and dramatically fanning herself with her hand. Trish and Dez laugh loudly. I get up and go over to Ally, securing her I my arms.

"You know that pancakes will never compare to you," I whisper in her ear, immediately sending Ally into a blush. She playfully shoves me away, and goes over to the picnic blanket. "So, are we watching the movie first, or eating?" she questions us, eyeing the bag that I was still holding. A silent demand. I pull the movie out and show the girls.

"We got Bikini Blood Bash 2!" I exclaim, giving Dez a wild grin. Ally and Trish share horrified looks, and glare at us.

"Okay, Austin, they have no taste. Just show them the other one," Dez calls up, his hands already working the pancake griddle and pouring the batter.

"The other movie we got…" I fish out the other disk, "is Better Together. It's about these friends who are all different, but they come together, and go through crazy adventures to take on the world. We thought that was a good choice for tonight."

The girl's smile and exchange words with their eyes. It's something that only girls seem to know how to do. Ally walks up to me and takes the disk. "It's a perfect choice."

**Later…**

After our indoor picnic—which was amazing, by the way, with delicious food, and Trish throwing grapes at Dez—we settled down for the movie. I grabbed a couple blankets and laid them on the ground for Dez and Trish, who continuously persisted they sit on the floor, and then I met Ally on the couch. She was sitting and talking to Trish, her face brightening with whatever her best friend was saying. I smile and sink into the couch, my arm automatically going to Ally's shoulder. She looks at me warmly and leans her head on me, her eyes trained on the TV. "Hit play, Dez."

The movie starts and already, we're all enjoying it. It was hilarious, with everyday clichés and exciting adventures. And, call me weird, but the main male actor looked _a lot_ like me…

"Alex… I can't go with you guys on vacation. I know this was our dream but, something came up. I am _so_ sorry…" the main female character, Amy reveals, her eyes alit with tears. Beside me, Ally is pressing tighter into me.

"I wouldn't know what _I_ would do without any of you," Ally confesses, making us smile, and some of us cry. Dez grabs a tissue. "I thought this was a comedy!" he wails, leaning against Trish's shoulder. Unfortunately for him, Trish smacks him away a second later.

In the end, Amy changes her mind and goes on vacation with Alex and her other friends, deciding that she couldn't be without them. The movie ends with, you guessed it: "We're better together!"

The disk stops and all of us actually get up and cheer. That was the type of impactful movie that moves people and changes their way of thinking. Especially Dez's. He stands up and starts to walk to the back door.

"Dez, where are you going, man?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at my unpredictable friend. He scoffs and gestures to the door.

"Uh outside, duh. I need to make a wish on a star to make sure you guys will always be my friends." Cue the "Aw, Dez's" because that was the only word coming out of everyone's mouth, even mine, except mine was manlier.

"Aw, Dez!" I smile at him. Who knew I would ever find such amazing people in my life. The ones who like me for me, and not because I'm a star, and are genuinely great friends.

"You know what? I think we should all go out and wish on a star," I decide, gripping Ally and Trish's hands. We go outside and luckily, the temperature was still warm enough at night that we didn't need sweaters. We look up, and amazingly, there was a single gleaming star in the night. Dez is suddenly on the ground, his arms up behind his head. We all copy his motions, and lie down, as if the star was just a bright 3D wall sticker on the ceiling.

"Make a wish guys!" Dez calls, closing his eyes and muttering something under his breath. I close my eyes, too, and make a wish. _I wish to have a long lasting relationship with my friends, especially Ally._ A part of me can feel that all my friend's wishes are similar.I turn to Ally, who has just opened her eyes again. "What did you wish for?" I gently nudge her, curious to hear her exact words. Ally laughs and looks me in the eyes. "Don't you know that if you say your wish out loud, it doesn't come true?" she asks. We are both looking each other in the eyes, and everything feels peaceful. Dez and Trish were probably still wishing, the moon was bright, casting us in a yellow glow, and the warm breeze curled through our hair. Ally sighs, and suddenly grabs my hand. She has a sparkle in her eyes, and when she speaks, it shocks me through my entire body.

"Austin? I think… I _love_ you," she confesses, immediately biting her lip afterwards, waiting for my response. I was speechless. This beautiful girl in front of me had just said she _loves_ me. And I completely feel the same way.

"I love you too, Ally," I say, wrapping my arms around her and bringing her close. "More than you can imagine," I whisper in to her hair, feeling her sigh and hold me tighter. Behind us, I hear Dez and Trish go "Awwww!" and I smile. Everything was perfect.

Then, my phone rings, slicing through the serene atmosphere. Ally and I grudgingly let go of each other so that I can answer my phone. Yet, who knew that would've put an end to our perfect night? Certainly not me, since I clicked the button and my mom's voice came flowing from the other side.

"Hello, sweetie," my mom greets across the line. Immediately, this sends red sirens blaring through my head. My parents haven't contacted me in months.

"We're happy to hear that you've changed your attitude, Austin. We've read about how amazing you've been these past couple of months," my mom says happily. But, before I can say anything, she attacks me with her next line, "So, your dad and I are coming to take you back home. We've just boarded the airplane, and by this time tomorrow, you'll be back in California. Be ready!" Then, the line goes dead as she hangs up.

For the first few minutes, I think I blanked. I was aware of my friends calling my name, but I didn't have the strength to answer. My hand fell slack and my phone dropped to the ground. How was this happening? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!? Finally, I snap out of it, and still not talking to the people behind me, I get down and grab my phone, my hands shaking as I redial my mom.

Voicemail. She had probably turned on Airplane Mode, which meant that she _really_ was coming here. _By this time tomorrow, you'll be back in California…_ I tremble with anger, but mostly sadness. I had no input in this decision, and now I am forced to leave. My city, my friends… Ally. The one girl who cared about me more than I probably deserved. The girl who loved me…

I turn to my friends, aware of the tears in my eyes, and I can see them react to my expression. Ally slowly approaches me, her hands outstretched with a silent question.

I finally find my voice. "I… I'm moving back to California—tomorrow."

**THE END**

**I assume that most of you, or all of you, probably don't like the way that this story ended… hehe. I guess that if you wanted, you can just pretend that this story ended before Austin's phone rang at "Everything was perfect" but, I shaped this story so that there would be a sequel. Yes, a sequel, because I'm not **_**that**_** mean. **

**So, REVIEW and tell me what you think, and what you want. Do you guys want a sequel? Do you guys hate me right now? I hope not…**

**Okay, until next time, since I'll be posting a new story soon!**

—**WritingWithHeart **


	31. Final Note

Hey guys!

Just wanted to let you know that if you're interested and haven't already, go check out my new story **My Stupid Phone**. It's RAURA this time, because I wanted to try out something new. And, if you guys are wondering about my **She Doesn't Fall **sequel, there's some information about that there, too.

Okay, thank you for reading this, and I hope you do the same with my new story!

Also, a quick thank you to you guys for getting me to over 200 reviews on this story. You guys are awesome!

—WritingWithHeart


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